Shayonti Salvi
I worked as an Interior Designer in the corporate sector from 2002 till 2009, working on multiple large scale
offices, as the call centre boom in India took off.
• I studied Ceramics at the Golden Bridge Pottery under Ray Meeker, Deborah Smith and Cory Brown in 2013.
• Ray Meeker curated me in my first group show in 2014 titled ‘Clay at the Attic’ in Delhi. Since then I have
been a part of a variety of gallery shows both group and solo, both Indian and international, both with other
ceramists and other non-ceramic artists, and continue to do so. My work is predominantly sculptural and
takes inspiration from natural elements I come across while camping and diving. They weave themselves
through a strong social context that I wish to comment on. (Listed below under OTHER SHOWS
PARTICIPATED)
• I have won some awards for Ceramic Sculpture within India through the prestigious foundation of artist
Prafulla Dhanukar, among other awards.
• I started curating shows in 2015, I have curated group shows, community art installations and ceramic
festivals over the past 10 years. (Listed below under SHOWS CURATED)
• One of the highlights was getting the opportunity to initiate, organise and co-curate 5 different shows during
the first INDIAN CERAMIC TRIENNALE 2018, each with a different theme. ‘H2O’ at AKFD, a sculptural show
themed on Water; ‘INTO THE BOX’ at Gallery Art Chill at the Fort, a sculptural show with small sized
sculptures all presented in a uniform sized small box; ‘HANDLE IT’ at Anantaya, a tableware show; ‘JUST AN
ILLUSION’ at Gallery Art Chill, a sculptural show with medium sized sculptures; and ‘TREE OF LIFE’, a
sculptural show themed around its namesake.
• I have recently curated a 7 week long Ceramic Festival, ‘MAATI-PUTR’ focusing on experiencing ceramics
through all the ‘six’ senses. It included a tableware show, a sculptural show, a lecture series, multiple
workshop sessions, a musical performance with ‘ghatams’ (terracotta percussion instrument), ceramic
folklore narrative, a trivia game focused around ceramics and a dinner scape served in ceramic ware.
• I have been working closely in the last couple of years with Adil Writer, as co-curators for an ambitious
exhibition of contemporary Indian art. We are connecting senior Indian ceramic artists into collaborating with
the biggest names in Indian art; painters, metal sculptors, film makers, print-makers, etc. to come up with
installations to exhibit by November 2025.
• Exploring focused areas of study is a passion that I continue to indulge in. Since 2018, I have attended and
completed various Post Graduate Courses and workshops, within subjects like Art, Architecture and
Environmental studies that I wish to specialise in. (Listed below under EDUCATION)
• Simultaneously, since 2022, I take on Interior projects that focus on sustainability in design, since Earth
Building is an area I wish to specialise in. I am currently designing a school building within Mumbai city, which
uses the ‘wattle and daub’ technique with raw earthenware, as its walls.
• I have been a part of 2 Theatrical Productions in Mumbai, for which I have designed the Scenography (sets).
‘Lungs’, directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee and ‘Barricade’, directed by Sunil Shanbag.
• I have been teaching pottery in my studio to a varied section of students, some who have been coming to me
for many years. I started teaching in 2015 and I find that teaching a dedicated student is akin to therapy.
• I have conducted many workshops, given presentations, mediated talks and interviewed artists for various
institutions in Mumbai. (Listed below under WORKSHOPS, TALKS, PRESENTATIONS CONDUCTED)
• I lived in Austria through a student exchange program at the age of 17 in 1996, where I was introduced to the
Viennese Art and Culture and learned to speak German.
Info

Shayonti Salvi
Activity
ARTISTA
Country, region
INDIA
Biography
SHAYONTI resume 18.2.25 IAC
Documents
Triennale Satellite Shows 2018
Table Manners 2021
Maati-Putr 2025





