Desmond Lazaro b. 1968

Desmond Lazaro was born in Leeds (1968). Initial degree in painting at the University of Central Lancashire (1990). Commonwealth Scholarship to India, post graduate University of Baroda (1991-94). Second post-grad and PhD in London, after published as Materials, Methods & Symbolism in the Pichhvai Painting Tradition of Rajasthan (Mapin 2005). Since 2008 Lazaro has exhibited Internationally, contributed to numerous publications, lectures, and seminars. The most recent publication is ‘Post National’ edited by Prof Charles Green (University of Melbourne), Australia.  Has been an associate lecturer at the Kings Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London since 2009, an International Outreach tutor at the Dunhuang Research Academy, China and is currently the Director of the Madrasat Adeera School in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. In 2013 Lazaro completed his first major public art project, T2 Mumbai International Airport entitled ‘Gopuram’. In 2014 he wrote and presented the documentary film ‘Studios of Devotion’. In 2015 he presented the solo exhibition ‘The In-Coming Passengers’ (Mumbai, India), followed in 2017 ‘The Promise’ for the Kochi Muzuris Biennale (India), and the Dymaxion map series for the exhibition ‘Planetary Planning’, Dhaka Art Summit (Bangladesh) 2018. In 2019 he collaborated with the curator Dr. Devika Singh (Tate Modern, UK) for the exhibition ‘Homelands, India, Bangladesh & Pakistan’, at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge followed by his first Australian commission ’The Sea of Untold Stories’, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. In April 2021 Chemould Prescott Road presented a solo show of his works ‘The Cosmos Project’ as part of Art Basel OVR Portals, in September / October 2021 his work was shown at The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial at John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia, in 2021 he presented a solo exhibition ‘Cosmos’ at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, India. In 2023, he participated in Sydney Contemporaries and The Edge of the Sphere at Arc One Gallery in Melbourne. In 2023/4 he presented, ‘Point of Line to Plane’ an installation in dialogue with the work of the 20^th Century artist Wasily Kandinsky at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. He is currently preparing for several shows in 2026, Kolkata ‘All that you leave behind’, Kolkata, India, curated by Gayatri Sinha and a major installation entitled Samudra Mathna (Churning the Ocean of Milk’ for the ‘Avatar at exhibition at Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.