Kirti Mandir, a British citizen of Indian origins, was born in Nairobi, British Kenya (now Kenya) in 1953. He first moved to India in the early 1970s to study art, subsequently immigrating to the UK in the late 1970s. His multifaceted art practice explores emotions and simplicity.
Painter and sculptor, Kirti Mandir was born in Nairobi, British Kenya (now Kenya) in 1953. A British citizen of Indian origins, he first moved to India in the early 1970s to further his education, beginning his formal art studies in 1972 at Kala Kendra, Vallabh Vidhyanagar, where he completed his art teacher training, followed by a diploma in sculpture in 1976. Mandir’s commitment to expanding his expertise led him to the Faculty of Fine Arts in Barodaby 1978, where he achieved a certificate in metal casting. After graduation he immigrated to the UK.
Art remains central to Mandir's life, bringing him immense joy, tranquillity, and relaxation. His varied oeuvre encompasses figurative sculpture in bronze, stone and wood; paintings with acrylics on paper; and hand-woven pieces. He predominantly bases his works on the human form, while his practice often involves community art, intertwined with music projects. Taking inspiration from prehistoric art, anthropomorphic sculpture, and functional objects, he seeks to capture the essence of simplicity and serenity in his creations, mixing modern methodologies with traditional techniques. For a time, Mandir lived in a wild and secluded region of Scotland, close to a loch and amid dense forests and towering hills, and this serene setting motivated him to design a sculpture garden around his home. A recurring motif in his sculptures is the theme of Genesis, while his paintings emphasise the notion of equilibrium. His migration pattern and the contrasts between Kenya, India and the UK have significantly shaped his work, the exploration of Asia, Africa and Europe intersecting in his art. His multifaceted and multimedia approach showcases his commitment to exploring the wide range of human expression and emotion.
Mandir has been the recipient of several awards and has undertaken numerous residencies and collaborations throughout his career. In the 1990s he held many visiting artist teaching positions across England, Scotland, and Ireland. From 2003-6 he was Artist in Residence at Common Ground Scotland in Ayrshire. A central theme for this initiative was the idea of Robert Burns engaging in dialogue with Martin Luther King, while Mandir’s art introduced another influential figure into the conversation: Mahatma Gandhi. Previously, Mandir had sculpted a bust of Gandhi, which is now displayed at Saughton Park in Edinburgh. Following the Common Ground project, he felt inspired to create a sculpture of Scotland’s renowned poet, Robert Burns. The resulting bronze, commissioned by Muirkirk Community Association, can be seen at Muirkirk Museum.
Alongside his art practice, Mandir has maintained a parallel teaching career which began in England, as a part-time lecturer at Richmond Adult Community College, London (1988–91), followed by West Herts College, Berkhampstead (1993–95). Concurrently, he began his tenure as a visiting lecturer in Scotland, teaching at Bellarmine Arts Centre and Glasgow School of Art (1988–96 and 1988–90, respectively). Mandir continued his teaching in Ireland in the late 1990s, as a part-time lecturer at South Tipperary Arts Centre in Clonmel (1996) and a visiting lecturer at Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork (1999). Returning to Scotland in 2003, he held a masterclass in bronze casting in Brodick, Scotland. His association with Glasgow continued with visiting tutor roles at both at the Tramway's Bronze Casting Workshop and at Galgale (2009), with an interlude in the USA in 2007, where he worked at McDaniel College in Maryland. Mandir has also regularly appeared on TV and radio, dating back to 1978 when he featured on the Newsreel presented by Gujarat State Cinema, India. In the UK, his appearances include a BBC Television Documentary in 1988, for Network East in 1989, and a Cable Television Documentary in 1994. He also made appearances on Durdarshana Television and Zee T.V. Satellite in India in 1997. More recently, Mandir featured on Scottish BBC and Scottish ITV News in 2008 (kirtimandir.com).
Kirti Mandir lives and works in Chesterfield, England. Along with his memorial sculptures in the public domain in Scotland, his work is housed in a number of public collections in the UK, including Arts Council of Great Britain; East Ayrshire Woodland, Sorn, Scotland; Hertfordshire County Council; Isle of Arran Heritage Museum, Brodick, Scotland; Lanarkshire Health Board, Scotland; and Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Kirti Mandir]
Publications related to [Kirti Mandir] in the Ben Uri Library