CV
EDUCATION
2014 MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Parsons School of Design, New York City, New York
2011 BFA in Sculpture, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat, India
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
2023 Soak, a performative installation commissioned by the Asian American Arts Alliance, New York
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, New York
2014 New Echoes (curated by M.M. Serra), Anthology Film Archives, New York
2014 New Echoes (curated by M.M. Serra), The Film-makers’ Cooperative, New York
GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
Forthcoming in 2024: State of Fashion Biennale 2024 | Ties that Bind, Arnhem
2024 ...of involution, of languor..., State of Fashion Biennale 2024, 1ShanthiRoad, Bangalore
2023 Potluck, Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa
2023 heavy, in your arms, Kolkata Centre for Creativity, Kolkata
2023 Fourth Conversation Piece, Experimenter Gallery, Hindustan Road, Kolkata
2023 Musée Légitime (curated and performed by Martin La Roche), Printed Matter / St Marks, New York
2023 RUGA at Papi Juice's Markers Marketplace at Elsewhere, Brooklyn, New York
2023 Book Game, a performance facilitated by Jeremiah Day and Claire Filmon, Berlin
2022 Imprints, 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 (curated by Sitara Chowfla), an online exhibition by Pulp Society, New Delhi
2020 We Live in Real Time, Printed Matter St. Marks, Swiss Institute, New York
2020 CO(pe)VID 19 Archive, an online exhibition 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 (curated by Meenakshi Thirukode), Jugmug Thela, New Delhi
2018 The Rejoinders exhibition (curated by Jess Matthews and Melissa Hinkin), Gallery g39, Cardiff
2016 Hastakshar (curated by Lina Vincent), Goa International Airport, Goa
2016 Collaborative work 'Dear Abbe' (with Alona Weiss), Permeate the House, The Hollows, Brooklyn
2015 The Artist Recipe Project (curated by Qi You), an online exhibition
2014 Before (Niels van Tomme), The Kitchen, New York
2013 Lumpy Discourses (curated by A.K. Burns & Christine Howard Sandoval), 25 East Gallery, New York
2013 Tracing Erasure, 25 East Gallery, New York
2013 states of becoming (also served as co-curator with Lilly Handley), 25 East Gallery, New York
2012 Transparency, 25 East Gallery, New York
2012 Re-educate, 25 East Gallery, New York
2011 Undergraduate Degree Show, Maharaja Sayajirao University on Baroda, Gujarat
2006 Square Foot Show (curated by Kanchi Mehta), Tao Art Gallery at Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai
RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS
2024 Workspace Artist-in-Residence, Center for Book Arts, New York
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 a virtual residency 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, New York
2008 to 2011 Merit-based Scholarship from Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat
PUBLICATIONS AND AUTHORED TEXTS
2024 What does one do to the body? by Chandrima Bhattacharya, a text to accompany Rao's work "Tinctura" at State of Fashion Biennale 2024
2023 5 Queer Artists On Our Radar In 2024, Elle India
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 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 Leslie Hickey, The Artist’s Human Way by Home Cooking
2020 Editor, legitWick newsletter, issue no. 4, published by Wick Pilates, New York
2020 Interview with The Asian Curator, India
2020 Mail Art Series, Printed Matter Inc., New York (authored text)
2018 Collaborative work 'Dear Abbe' (with Alona Weiss) featured on the cover and in unbag magazine, issue: Reverie, New York
2015 Essay, The Artist Recipe Project: The Book published by Qi You, Beijing (authored text)
Work featured in various Indian art press outlets
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
2024 Visiting Artist Lecture at Queens College, CUNY, New York
2023 RUGA at Asian American Arts Alliance Townhall: Fashion/Textiles, New York
2023 Artist Talk, ISSP, Riga, Latvia
2023 Artist Talk, Center for Contemporary Art, Japan
2023 Artist Talk, Okinawa Institute of Science snd Technology, Japan
2022 Artist Talk, Department of Sculpture, Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Jersey
2021 Artist Talk, School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design, New York
2021 Artist Talk, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu
2020 Artist Talk, The Mobile Arts Residency, Bangalore
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
2024 Intl. Kikisake-shi (sake sommelier) Candidate, Sake Service Institute Intl., Tokyo & Sake School of America
2023 Japanese Sake Adviser Diploma, Sake Service Institute Intl., Tokyo & Sake School of America
2023 Logomotion to Performance, a workshop in Simone Forti's Logomotion method led by Jeremiah Day and Claire Filmon, Berlin
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 What we don’t talk about when we talk about love (led by Aveek Sen), Experimenter Labs, Experimenter Gallery, Kolkata
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., New York
OTHER EXPERIENCE
2020 - 2022 COVID-19 Case Investigator & Contact Tracer, New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey
2020 Co-founder (with Alejandro Yoshii), STUDIO TIME, an virtual open studio space
2021 Guest Critic, School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design, New York
2021 Visiting Artist Workshop, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu
2020 Art Faculty, Hunterdon Art Museum, New Jersey
2020 Mentor, The Mobile Arts Residency, Bangalore
2020 External examiner for Fine Arts, Goa College of Architecture, Panjim, Goa
2013 - 2015 Studio Assistant & Project Manager, Lenore Malen Studio, New York
2014 - 2015 Cinema Assistant, Maysles Films, New York
2014 - 2015 Assistant House Manager, Maysles Documentary Center, New York
2015 Assistant Cinematographer to Martina Radwan on Andrea Geyer’s film Time Tenderness, The Whitney Museum
of American Art, New York
2013 - 2015 Archivist, The Film-Makers’ Cooperative, New York
2013 - 2015 Art Teacher, Community Art Classes for Children, Sunset Park, New York
2013 - 2014 Teaching Assistant to Professor M.M. Serra, Avant Garde and the Moving Image, The New School, New York