CV
EDUCATION
2014 MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Parsons School of Design, New York City, NY
2011 BFA in Sculpture, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat, India
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
2023 Aperitif, a performance at Bolderaja, Riga, Latvia
2022 Civita Trays, site-specific work exhibited in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy as part of the Civita Institute Fellowship
2022 Rhizophora, Rubus Discolor Project, Portland, OR
2022 A Show for Neighbours, a display of works between the main door and the storm door of Rao's house
2021 Founded RUGA, a company for the nonbinary garments that are part of Rao's art practice
2017 Object, Road Number Zero, Cardiff curated by Devashish Sharma
2015 Interval: classical music & visual arts, Opera America, NY
2014 New Echoes, Anthology Film Archives, NYC curated by M.M. Serra
2014 New Echoes, The Film-makers’ Cooperative, NYC curated by M.M. Serra
GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
2023 RUGA at Papi Juice's Markers Marketplace at Elsewhere, Brooklyn
2022 Blue Planet Poster Project, First Edition Arts, Mumbai
2022 As Above, So Below, a virtual exhibition following the residency at Altamirra, Goa, India
2021 The Print Out, an online exhibition by Pulp Society, New Delhi curated by Sitara Chowfla
2020 What we don’t talk about when we talk about love led by Aveek Sen, Experimenter Labs, Experimenter Gallery, Kolkata
2020 We Live in Real Time, Printed Matter St. Marks, Swiss Institute, NYC
2020 CO(pe)VID 19 Archive, on 2msquared.net by 2m squared artspace, Cardiff
2020 Reading Through, Goa Open Arts Festival, Goa
2020 I am the One I Have Been Waiting For, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
2019 Form, Metaphor, Memory, Fine Arts Grantees exhibition, Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa
2019 A Week Exhibition, Jugmug Thela, New Delhi curated by Meenakshi Thirukode
2018 The Rejoinders exhibition, Gallery g39, Cardiff curated by Jess Matthews and Melissa Hinkin
2016 Hastakshar, Goa International Airport, Goa curated by Lina Vincent
2016 Permeate the House, The Hollows, Brooklyn
2015 The Artist Recipe Project, an online exhibition, Beijing curated by Qi You
2014 Before, The Kitchen, NYC curated by Niels van Tomme
2013 Lumpy Discourses, 25 East Gallery, NYC curated by A.K. Burns & Christine Howard Sandoval
2013 Tracing Erasure, 25 East Gallery, NYC
2013 states of becoming, 25 East Gallery, NYC - also served as co-curator with Lilly Handley
2012 Transparency, 25 East Gallery, NYC
2012 Re-educate, 25 East Gallery, NYC
2011 Undergraduate Degree Show, Maharaja Sayajirao University on Baroda, Baroda
2006 Square Foot Show, Tao Art Gallery at Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai curated by Kanchi Mehta
RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS
2023 ISSP Riga Residency, Riga, Latvia
2022 Civita Institute Residency, Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
2022 Artist-in-residence, Rubus Discolor Project, Portland, OR
2022 As Above, So Below, virtual residency, Altamirra, Goa
2020 Selected resident and grantee, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont (this residency did not take place because of Covid-19)
2020 The Human Way organized by Home Cooking, Prem Krishnamurthy and Kalaija Mallery
2020 Cel del Nord, a virtual residency, facilitated by Odette Brady, Barcelona
2019 Chennai Photo Biennale Residency Program (Phase I), Chennai
2018 The Rejoinders Residency, Cardiff
2017 CONA Foundation Passing Through residency, CONA Foundation, Mumbai
2016 Artist-in-residence at Mozaic Design, Goa
AWARDS & GRANTS
2023 CCA Islands Travel Scholarship by Japan's Center for Contemporary Art and Peace Winds Japan
2022 Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship, Civita Institute, Seattle, USA & Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
2019 Serendipity Arts Foundation Fine Arts Grant, Delhi
2019 Chennai Photo Biennale Residency Grant by the Goethe Institute, Chennai
2018 The British Council and Wales Arts International Grant for The Rejoinders program, Cardiff
2017 CONA Foundation sponsorship for the Passing Through residency at the CONA Foundation, Mumbai
2012 to 2014 Merit-based Scholarship from Parsons School of Design
2008 to 2011 Merit-based Scholarship from Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
PUBLICATIONS AND AUTHORED TEXTS
2022 Garments featured in Vogue India (Condé Nast)
2022 Yamini Nayar’s text as a response to Rao's solo exhibition, Rhizophora. This text was presented alongside the work.
2022 Lilly Handley’s response to Rao's solo exhibition, Rhizophora. This text and map was presented alongside the work.
2022 Work featured in TAKEAWAY magazine, issue no. 18: Line, published by Kelly Best and Herbivore, Cardiff (authored text)
2021 Interview with Sitara Chowfla, Pulp Society, New Delhi
2020 Essay, Experimenter Labs Reader-I, issue: What we don’t talk about when we talk about love edited by Aveek Sen, published by Gallery Experimenter, Kolkata (authored text)
2020 Photo essay, Home ‘Bound’ series, Museum of Art and Photography, Bangalore (authored text)
2020 Article about Rao's work in Platform Magazine, New Delhi
2020 Garments featured by Art and Wonderment, Mumbai
2020 Interview with Leslie Hickey, The Artist’s Human Way by Home Cooking
2020 Editor, legitWick newsletter, issue no. 4, published by Wick Pilates, NYC
2020 Interview with The Asian Curator, India
2020 Mail Art Series, Printed Matter Inc., NYC (authored text)
2018 Essay about our collaborative work ‘Dear Abbe’ by Alona Weiss, unbag magazine, issue: Reverie, NYC
2018 Work featured on the cover of unbag magazine, issue: Reverie, NYC
2015 Essay, The Artist Recipe Project: The Book published by Qi You, Beijing (authored text)
2020 Article highlighting Rao's work at Goa Open Arts Festival by Vivek Menezes in Livemint, India
2020 Garments featured by Art and Wonderment, Mumbai
2020 Interview with The Asian Curator, India
Work featured in various Indian art press outlets
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
2023 ISSP Artist Talk at Bolderaja, Riga, Latvia
2023 Artist Talk at Center for Contemporary Art, Japan
2023 Artist Talk at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
2022 Artist Talk at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, NJ
2021 Artist Talk School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design, New York City, NY
2021 Artist Talk at Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu
2020 Artist Talk at The Mobile Arts Residency, Bangalore
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
2023 Square Yard Project, growing and processing flax for linen, led by PA Flax Project, Pennsylvania
2022 Grounding led by master dancer Padmini Chettur & hosted by Anandam, Toronto
2022 Practice led by Padmini Chettur & hosted by Anandam, Toronto
2021 Imagination: History, Structure, Practice led by Aveek Sen & hosted by BICAR, Mumbai
2020 Repetition led by Rohit Goel, Padmini Chettur and Maarten Visser & hosted by BICAR, Mumbai
2020 Padmini Chettur: Works & Thought: Theoretical Explorations led by Padmini Chettur & hosted by BICAR, Mumbai
2019 Indian Textiles: Histories, Practices & Concerns led by Mayank Mansingh Kaul at Experimenter Gallery, Kolkata
2018 Training in Hindustani classical music led by Samarth Nagarkar, NYC & Prachala Amonkar, Goa - 5+ years
2018 First Step Module: Herbal & Natural Dyeing and Dyeing Techniques at Color Ashram and Biome, Goa
2018 Brand Impact Module: Building a Sustainable Clothing Brand at Color Ashram and Biome, Goa
2017 Weavers’ Intensive: a month-long weaving program at the Weavers’ Service Center, Bangalore
2014 Training in dance & movement techniques with Movement Research Inc., NYC - 1 year
OTHER EXPERIENCE
Covid-19 Case Investigator, New Jersey Department of Health, NJ - 2020 to 2022
Co-founder, STUDIO TIME, an virtual open studio space, with Alejandro Yoshii - 2020 to 2022
Guest Critic, School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design, New York City, NY - 2021
Visiting Artist Workshop, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu - 2021
Art Faculty, Hunterdon Art Museum, NJ - 2020
Mentor, The Mobile Arts Residency, Bangalore - 2020
External examiner for Fine Arts, Goa College of Architecture, Panjim, Goa - 2020
Studio Assistant & Project Manager, Lenore Malen Studio, New York City, NY - 2013 to 2015
Cinema Assistant, Maysles Films, New York City, NY - 2014 to 2015
Assistant House Manager, Maysles Documentary Center - 2014 to 2015
Assistant Cinematographer to Martina Radwan on Andrea Geyer’s film Time Tenderness at The Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC - 2015
Archivist, The Film-Makers’ Cooperative, New York City, NY - 2013 to 2015
Art Teacher, Community Art Classes for Children, Sunset Park, NYC - 2013 to 2015
Teaching Assistant, Professor M.M. Serra for the class Avant Garde and the Moving Image, The New School, New York City, NY - 2013 to 2014