MUNISH WADHIA (b. 1972, Mombasa, Kenya)
Based in Sweden, Munish has a master’s in fine art painting from the Royal College of Art, London, and a bachelor’s in fine art painting from Wimbledon School of Art (University of the Arts London).
Munish's work deals with painting through an experimental and interdisciplinary approach where his ideas are concerned with collective memories, inheritance, and the amnesiac absence of knowledges in westernised discourses
Education
2015-17 Royal College of Art, London MA Fine Art Painting
1998-99 Goldsmiths University, Post Graduate in Education Art and Design
1994-97 Wimbledon School of Art, BA Hon Fine Art Painting
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Från Från / From FromSödertälje Konsthall, Södertälje , Sweden
2022 Osynliga sömmar/ Invisible Seams, Konstakadmien/ The Royal Art Academy, Stockholm Sweden
2020 Smoke in the Eye – Rupture in the colonial archive, Tändsticks Museet/ Match Museum, Jönköping,
2020 Education is an Emancipatory tool, Jönköping Stadsblioteket/ City Library
2019 Signs and Wonders, Art lab Gnesta,
2019 The Sparrow is Sorry for the Peacock at the Burden of its Tail, Galleri Rostum, Malmö
2019 The Sparrow is Sorry for the Peacock at the Burden of its Tail, Gislaved Konsthall, Gislaved
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Candyland, Stockholm: 'Failing Nearby' Munish Wadhia, Afrang Nordlöf Malekian och Johnny Chang.
2021 All Art Now Lab, Stockholm: ‘To Inherit a Story’, Katarina Eismann and Munish Wadhia
A collaborative project curated by Eva-Lotta Holm Flach,
2020 ‘PåSergelsTorg’ Sergels Torg, Stockholm
2017 Royal College of Art, Masters Show
2016 Dyson Gallery, London, '‘Carry On'’
2016 WIP Show, Royal College of Art,
Residencies
2024 IASPIS Stockholm Studio Grant Nov '24 - April '25
2021-22 Grafikenshus Södertälje – Artist in residence on the ‘Collecting Thoughts’ project. link to project website
2020 Jönköping Match Museum/ Archive – Artist in residence ‘Made in Sweden’
2019 Artlab Gnesta – with support from Perpetuum Mobile / Nordic Culture Point.
2018 Köttinspektionendans, Uppsala Sweden
Publications and Writings
2022 Osynliga sömmar/ Invisible seems, exhibition catalogue published by The Royal Art Academy, Sweden
2021 Samlande Tankar/ Collecting Thoughts Project Year 1 (2021/2022) Transcript of conversation ‘A Sahib’s War’ between Munish Wadhia and Åsa Bharathi Larsson Fiberspace Gallery Stockholm
2021 Smoke in the eye – ‘Space Invader’ in the colonial archive, Kultwatch link to article webpage
2018 ‘Material som drar’ Artistic documentation commissioned and published by Köttinspektionendans, Uppsala
Talks
2022 "Invisble seems", Artists Talk with Mmabatho Thobejane Thinking through artistic practice in relation to Sylvia Winter’s essay Rethinking” Aesthetics”: notes towards a deciphering practice. Kungliga Konstakademien/The Royal Art Academy
2022 "Invisible seems", reading circle "Thinking through artistic practice in relation to Sylvia Winter's essay Rethinking ”Aesthetics”: notes towards a deciphering practice at Kungliga Konstakademien/The Royal Art Academy reading room with Mmabatho Thobejane
2022 "Invisible seems" opening artists talk in coversation with Gieorgiana Zachia (Swedish Public Art Agency)
2021-23 Grafikens Hus, panel member on ‘Samlande Tankar/Collecting Thoughts’ - a three year project funded by the Swedish Arts Council using an intersectional postcolonial perspective in investigating how to build a collection
2022 A Sahib’s War – A conversation with Munish Wadhia and Åsa Bharathi Larsson Fiberspace Gallery, Stockholm
2020 Artist Presentation at Stockholms CraftWeek conference, Factorygirls – The Willful textile worker – organised by Åsa Norman and Frida Hållander.
Public Collections
Statenskpnstråd / Swedish Public Art Agency
Gislaveds Kommun/ Gislaveds Municipality
Awards / Grants / Scholorship
2023 Travel grant - Swedish Arts Grants Comittee - Eindhoven/Helsinki
2021-22 two year working Grant - Swedish Arts Grants Comittee
2020 Exhibtion Scholorship - Royal Academy of Art Sweden
2019 one year Working Grant - Swedish Arts Grants Comittee
2018 Travel grant - Swedish Arts Grants Comittee - Eindhoven