Anish Kapoor Artworks

Since gaining recognition for his biomorphic sculptures of the 1980s, made using pure pigment and traditional materials, Anish Kapoor has experimented with mirrored and recessive surfaces, new technologies, and scale.

Read More

Early Work

Several of Kapoor's early works, seemingly rising out of the floor or wall, underscore his preoccupation with blood and female anatomy as with As if to celebrate, I discovered a mountain blooming with red flowers (1981). Created for the exhibition British Sculpture in the Twentieth Century. Part 2: Symbol and Imagination 1951—980 (1981—2) at London's Whitechapel Gallery, the sculpture consists of three groups of geometric forms made from wood, cement and polystyrene, and covered in pure pigment that spills over the floor.

Each shape references the human physique: the three-peaked mountain in red as the body; the pair of red ellipsoids as breasts; while the boat-like form, the only yellow object of the group, suggests movement. Kapoor derived the first part of the title, 'As if to celebrate', from a Haiku poem, and the rest came from a Hindu myth in which a goddess is born out of a mountain of male gods' bodies.

Working with traditional materials and techniques, Kapoor became associated with a group of young artists—among them Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Antony Gormley and Shirazeh Houshiary—known as the New British Sculptors.

The Void

In the following decade, Kapoor's sculptures progressively grew as he began to explore the idea of the void by constructing forms that contain cavities or disappear into the floor or wall. In the sculpture Void Field (1989)—presented at the 44th Venice Biennale and for which he was awarded the Premio Duemila Prize—the top surfaces of sandstone blocks are pierced with a hole and filled with black pigment. Contrasting the mass of the blocks with the voids within them, Kapoor explored the tensions between presence and absence, being and non-being, and internal space and darkness.

Kapoor later multiplied the scale of the void with Marsyas (2002)—commissioned for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern—by creating a hollow, trumpet-like structure out of red plastic membrane that extended over the monumental gallery space.

Kapoor's exploration of the void led him to experiment with the blackness of black paint, resulting in his controversial acquisition of exclusive rights to the super-black pigment Vantablack in 2016. Following what Kapoor's critics viewed as a monopoly, British artist Stuart Semple raised funds to create Black 3.0, which is purported to be even blacker than Vantablack, that is available to all for use except Kapoor.

Mirrored Surfaces

From the mid-1990s onwards, Kapoor increasingly used mirrored surfaces in his works, as in the three concave, stainless steel discs of Her Blood (1998), which are presented on the floor or on the wall and reflect their environment from different angles. A later work such as Blood Mirror (2000) similarly consists of a stainless disc, featuring red in its lacquered and highly polished surface. The simple concave shape in both works appears to be a void from a distance and becomes activated when the spectator steps closer to it, contorting reality to subvert his or her sense of perception.

Theatricality

Throughout Kapoor's works, there exists a sense of theatricality—one that requires audience participation to complete its experience. In conversation with Ocula Magazine in 2016, Kapoor said, 'There is something about the performative in a work, where the work almost switches itself on as you enter its space. I think it's terribly important because that's a conversation between a viewer and an object.'

Enacting this performativity is his 'Non-Object' series of 'twisted' stainless steel sculptures that invite the spectator to walk around them and study the constantly morphing reflections. Similarly, Ishi's Light (2003)—an ovoid shell with a fibreglass exterior and a lacquered red interior—opens partially to allow the spectator into its space. The concave forms in both 'Non-Objects' and Ishi's Light seek to engage the participant's senses both optically by projecting distorted reflections and aurally by amplifying sound within their parameters.

Nanotechnology

Recognised for his incessant exploration of innovative materials and technology, Kapoor is to present new works created using carbon nanotechnology at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022.

Untitled by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Untitled, 2015 Polmyer gravure type etching on French BFK Rives natural 280gsm paper
33 x 40 cm
Dellasposa Gallery Contact Gallery
Untitled by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Anish Kapoor Untitled, 2020 Oil on paper
66.5 x 101.5 cm
Lisson Gallery Request Price & Availability
Untitled by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Anish Kapoor Untitled, 2020 Oil and pencil on paper
66.5 x 101.5 cm
Lisson Gallery Request Price & Availability
Oriental Blue by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork sculpture
Anish Kapoor Oriental Blue, 2021 Stainless steel and lacquer
80 x 80 cm
SCAI The Bathhouse Request Price & Availability
Scorched Earth by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Scorched Earth, 2021 Polymer gravure type etching on Velin Arches Blanc 250 gsm
24 x 29.5 cm
Dellasposa Gallery Contact Gallery
Sathi by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork sculpture
Anish Kapoor Sathi, 2021 Silicone, wood and fabric
213 x 274 x 5 cm
Lisson Gallery Request Price & Availability
Babel II by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork painting
Anish Kapoor Babel II, 2021 Oil on canvas
213 x 274 cm
Lisson Gallery Request Price & Availability
Flow Blue by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Flow Blue, 2019 A series of 4 colour etchings
145 x 193 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Breathing Blue by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork painting, print
Anish Kapoor Breathing Blue, 2020 Offset lithograph on 350gsm paper
30 x 42 cm
Dellasposa Gallery Contact Gallery
Glisten by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork sculpture
Anish Kapoor Glisten, 2018 Fiberglass and paint
255 x 255 x 43.5 cm
He Art Museum
Yellow Rising by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Yellow Rising, 2018 Series of 7 etchings
72.5 x 96.5 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Untitled (Red Solid) by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork sculpture
Anish Kapoor Untitled (Red Solid) Lacquered bronze
12.5 x 36 x 36 inches
Not for sale
Beyer Projects
Untitled (Blue Solid) by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork sculpture
Anish Kapoor Untitled (Blue Solid), 2006 Aluminium and lacquer paint
12.5 x 36 x 36 inches
Beyer Projects Request Price & Availability
Fold V by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Fold V, 2016 Colour etching on two sheets
160 x 119.8 x 12.8 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Moiré 1 by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Moiré 1, 2015 Series of 4 colour etchings
72.4 x 96.4 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Fold VI by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Fold VI, 2016 An etching from two sheets (framed)
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Fold IV by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Fold IV, 2016 An etching from two sheets (framed)
Paragon Request Price & Availability
Red Shadow by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor Red Shadow, 2016 Series of 10 etchings
72.4 x 96 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
History by Anish Kapoor contemporary artwork print
Anish Kapoor History, 2007 Portfolio of 15 black and white etchings
77 x 89.9 cm
Paragon Request Price & Availability
No results found.
Ocula discover the best in contemporary art icon.
Get Access
Join Ocula to request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Do you have an Ocula account? Login
What best describes your interest in art?

Subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming exhibitions, available works, events and more.
By clicking Sign Up or Continue with Facebook or Google, you agree to Ocula's Terms & Conditions. Your personal data is held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you for joining us. Just one more thing...
Soon you will receive an email asking you to complete registration. If you do not receive it then you can check and edit the email address you entered.
Close
Thank you for joining us.
You can now request price and availability of artworks, exhibition price lists and build a collection of favourite artists, galleries and artworks.
Close
Welcome back to Ocula
Enter your email address and password below to login.
Reset Password
Enter your email address to receive a password reset link.
Reset Link Sent
We have sent you an email containing a link to reset your password. Simply click the link and enter your new password to complete this process.
Login