Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran: Undergod

Overview

Renowned Sydney-born gallery Sullivan+Strumpf launched its debut Melbourne outpost last spring, where it continues to do what it does best: championing the best of the contemporary art scene. And next up, that means throwing the spotlight on one of its regular muses, acclaimed Sydney-based Sri Lankan-born artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran.

GQ Artist of the Year for 2022, Nithiyendran is hitting Sullivan+Strumpf's converted warehouse in Collingwood for his first solo Melbourne show since 2016. Undergod will run from Thursday, March 16–Saturday, April 22, showcasing twenty new sculptures — building on the artist's long-held fascination with multiplicity, plurality and the portrayal of deities.

'Bi Warrior Figure', 2022, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran

It's a broad-ranging collection of new and recent works that embrace various concepts of the mythological being. You'll find moveable figures, a series of large-scale bronze warrior sculptures and unglazed terracotta miniatures, alongside plenty of the boldly-hued ceramic pieces that have become Nithiyendran's signature.

The artist guides audiences on a thought-provoking, yet often playful musing of the diverse histories of iconoclasm, with works displayed beneath colourful LEDS on plinths throughout the space.

Works by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran. Installation view courtesy of the artists and Sullivan+Strumpf.

Top images: Mark Pokorny