Anish Kapoor, Sculptor
Sculptor

Anish Kapoor

Born 12 March 1954 · Maharashtra

Created the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago, also known as 'The Bean'.

Sir Anish Mikhail Kapoor is a British sculptor specializing in installation art and conceptual art. Born in Mumbai, Kapoor attended the all-boys Indian boarding school The Doon School, before moving to the United Kingdom to begin his art training at Hornsey College of Art and, later, Chelsea School of Art and Design.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Kapoor’s early sculptures used pure pigment powders inspired by Indian traditions before he transitioned to monumental metal works like Chicago’s Cloud Gate.

The Story

1
🎨 In 1971, Anish Kapoor moved from Mumbai to Israel and lived on a kibbutz before abandoning electrical engineering to pursue art, marking a radical career shift at age 17.
2
Between 1973 and 1978, Kapoor studied at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art in London, where British-Romanian sculptor Paul Neagu became his mentor, encouraging him to explore performance and conceptual art.
3🌟 Kapoor won the Turner Prize in 1991 just over a decade after starting his art education, spotlighting his early sculptures made of pigments and raw materials like granite and limestone.
4In 2006, Kapoor unveiled "Cloud Gate" in Chicago’s Millennium Park—a 110-ton reflective stainless steel sculpture nicknamed "The Bean" that challenges perception and invites public interaction.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Padma Bhushan
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Turner Prize

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Kapoor’s family background blends an Indian Punjabi Hindu father and an Iraqi Jewish mother, linking him to the Baghdadi Jewish community of Mumbai, a rare cultural mix in contemporary art.

🖼️

Through the Years

6 photographs from the archives
Anish Kapoor at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin showcasing his work (2008).
Anish Kapoor at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin showcasing his work (2008).
2008
Anish Kapoor's installation exhibited at CAC Málaga in Spain (2009).
Anish Kapoor photographed in Istanbul during an art event (2013).
Anish Kapoor's Descension installation displayed in Brooklyn (2017).
Anish Kapoor exhibition held at Pitzhanger Manor showcasing his sculptures (2019).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Mumbai, India
Anish Kapoor was born to a Punjabi Hindu father and Iraqi Jewish mother, later influencing his multicultural artistic perspective.
1954
📚
Education
Moved to Israel and studied engineering
Kapoor lived on a kibbutz and began studying electrical engineering before switching to art.
1971
📚
Education
Started art studies in London
Began studies at Hornsey College of Art and later Chelsea School of Art, mentored by Paul Neagu.
1973
🏅
Award
Won the Turner Prize
Received the prestigious Turner Prize for his innovative sculptural work.
1991
⚡
Career
Unveiled Cloud Gate in Chicago
Installed the 110-ton stainless steel sculpture nicknamed 'The Bean', becoming a landmark in Millennium Park.
2006
⚡
Career
Completed ArcelorMittal Orbit
Created the 114.5-meter sculpture for London's Olympic Park, blending art with architecture on a grand scale.
2012
🏅
Award
Knighted in the UK
Received knighthood for services to visual arts, cementing his status in British culture.
2013
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 2017, Kapoor designed the statuette for the 2018 Brit Awards, crossing from visual art into music award iconography, an unusual crossover for sculptors.

02 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Kapoor’s 2018 VR film project "Into Yourself, Fall" simulates the sensation of falling into one’s own body, exploring psychological spaces analogous to his fascination with voids in sculpture.

03 / 04
💡SURPRISING

Despite quitting electrical engineering early, Kapoor collaborates extensively with engineers to realize massive sculptures weighing up to 100 tons, blending art and technical innovation.

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"What we do as artists is mythological, without your involvement as a viewer, there is no story."

— Anish Kapoor

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor (Part 1) | Studio B: Unscripted
More from this archive
Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor (Part 1) | Studio B: Unscripted
01
Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor (Part 1) | Studio B: Unscripted
Special Interview with Anish Kapoor, recipient of NDTV's Living Legend Award
02
Special Interview with Anish Kapoor, recipient of NDTV's Living Legend Award
Anish Kapoor is honoured as one of the Greatest Global Living Indian
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Anish Kapoor is honoured as one of the Greatest Global Living Indian
Public Art Fund Talks at The New School: Anish Kapoor
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Public Art Fund Talks at The New School: Anish Kapoor
ANISH KAPOOR OPENING AT REGEN PROJECTS
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ANISH KAPOOR OPENING AT REGEN PROJECTS
ANISH KAPOOR WALKTHROUGH AT REGEN PROJECTS
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ANISH KAPOOR WALKTHROUGH AT REGEN PROJECTS
Why Anish Kapoor says artists need a collective voice to overcome the environment of fear
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Why Anish Kapoor says artists need a collective voice to overcome the environment of fear

🌱 What changed because of them

Anish Kapoor redefined public sculpture by blending Indian artistic heritage with cutting-edge technology and monumental scale, influencing institutions like Tate Modern and Olympic Park projects. His works have reshaped urban landscapes and public engagement with art, bridging cultural identities between India and the UK. Kapoor’s approach also inspired new dialogues on perception, space, and materiality in contemporary sculpture worldwide.

💬 Social Buzz

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