About Arvin
Arvin Ombika, born on December 17th, 1984, in Mauritius, is currently a resident of Mauritius and pursues a career as a contemporary painter. His paintings focus on figurative art, predominantly depicting male figures and conveying conceptual narratives. These narratives frequently delve into themes of love and resilience within a heteronormative society.
My paintings primarily feature acrylics, although I occasionally utilize oils and egg tempera as well. Furthermore, I integrate gold, copper, and silver leaves into my artwork to enhance the depth and meaning of my narratives. I prefer using a layered technique in my paintings, where I apply multiple layers of paint. This allows for a detailed treatment while still revealing the underlying layers, which adds depth to my predominantly vibrant color palette. Moreover, I derive pleasure from simulating textural effects and pushing the limits of painting as a technique.
My artistic style primarily focuses on creating realistic and naturalistic representations of figures. I often utilize symbolic representation, employing a conceptual approach in my paintings. In addition, my artworks frequently showcase painted depictions of particular traditional textiles like the mouswar lalet and the gamcha, which contribute a unique element to my visual style.
Painting, to me, is a fundamental manifestation of creativity. The abstract appearance of paints, leading to realistic outcomes, captivates me. My artistic goal is to express stories that evoke deep emotions, often ones that are not openly discussed. Through the visual documentation of moments, my objective is to circumvent any potential resistance that may arise from the use of words.
Academics
MFA [ 2015 - 2017 ]
Visva Bharati University, Fine Arts (Painting),
Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
PGCE [ 2012 - 2014 ]
Mauritius Institute of Education, Réduit, Mauritius
BA (Hons.) [ 2005 - 2009 ]
University of Mauritius, Fine Arts (painting), Réduit,
Mauritius
Work Experiences
October 2021 to Present
Lecturer in Art & Design, Fashion & Design
Institute, Ebène, Mauritius
September 2020 – August 2021
Full-Time Lecturer, on temporary basis,
School of Fine Arts, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka, Mauritius.
2018
Part-Time Lecturer, School of Fine Arts,
Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka, Mauritius.
2017
Full-Time Lecturer, on temporary basis,
School of Fine Arts, Mahatma Gandhi
Institute, Moka, Mauritius.
2014
Part-Time Lecturer, School of Fine Arts,
Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka, Mauritius.
2010 - 2015
Art & Design (supply) Teacher in various
secondary school, Ministry of Education and
Human Resources
Awards and Honors
2021
Commonwealth of Learning - Skills for Work Scholarships
2020
1st prize for the Trophée Malcolm de Chazal Art competition
2015
African Scholarship Scheme from the Indian Centre
for Cultural Relations
2010
2nd prize for the “Creative Expression Competition for Educators” poster competition
2010
1st prize for the group painting competition on ecological environment organized by the Karavann Productions
2009
1st prize for the “Xavier Le Juge De Segrais” painting
competition on rare plants
2004
1st prize for art competition on environment organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports
Solo Showcases
2013
Parthenon Frieze, Show at Hennessy Park Hotel, Mauritius
2012
Mixticius, Show at Le Suffren and Marina Hotel through pARTage, Mauritius
Projects
2022
GAMAT – A Tribute to Sona Noyan, Blue Penny Museum, Port-Louis, Mauritius
Biennale
December 2022
19th Asian Art Biennale, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
September 2022
18th INTERBIFEP (INTERnational Biennale Festival of Portrait),
Međunarodna Galerija Portreta Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
November 2015
16th International Biennale Festival of Portrait, Tuzla, Bosnia and
Herzegovina
September 2011
14th International Biennale Festival of Portrait, Tuzla, Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Group Exhibitions
March 2024
Le Portrait, Imaaya Art Gallery, Phoenix,
Mauritius
February 2024
Nouvelle iconographie de l’esclavage, Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture Trust Fund, La Tour Koeing, Mauritius
November 2023
Cinematography: Legacy and Future, The Savoy, Vacoas, Mauritius
November 2023
Vichatra Desh, Queer Nation, Curated exhibition by Myna Mukherjee, Visual Arts Gallery IHC, Delhi, India
June 2023
17th edition of the International Review of Contemporary Art "HUMAN RIGHTS?" Hope, Fondazione Campana dei Caduti, Italy
June 2023
1st Mauritius Arts Expo, Fort Adelaide, Citadelle,
Mauritius
May 2023
40th Salon de Mai, MGI, Moka,
Mauritius
May 2023
Reverse Mode, MGI, Moka,
Mauritius
April 2023
World Art Day 2023, Nou Lavenir, Lespas Lar, La Tour Koeing, Mauritius
April 2023
Tamil Cultural Heritage in Mauritius, Aapravasi Ghat,
Port-Louis
March 2023
Nou Listwar, Nou Lavenir, Lespas Lar, La Tour Koeing,
Mauritius
February 2023
LINKtoLIFE, Ilha do Cirne, Pointe aux Cannoniers,
Mauritius
September 2022
GAMAT, Blue Penny Museum,
Port-Louis.
September 2022
Techné Disruptors, curated by Myna Mukherjee, High Line Nine Gallery, New York
June 2022
CréaFest, France,
Online
June 2022
Samudra Art Prize,
Caudan Art Centre
May 2022
New Beginnings, 39 th Salon de Mai, School of Fine Arts, MGI, Moka, Mauritius
May 2022
Art Fami, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, Moka,
Mauritius
April 2022
World Art Day 2022, Action for Artistic Creativity in collaboration with Nelson Madela Centre for African Trust Fund, Lespas Lar, La Tour Koenig, Pointe aux Sables, Mauritius
February 2022
Nou Listwar Nou Leritaz, Lespas Lar, La Tour Koenig, Pointe aux Sables, Mauritius
June 2021
Sublime, Charlcoal Fondation Bongora, India, Online
April 2021
World Art Day, AAC, online Art Exhibition
April 2021
World Peace, Rotary online art Exhibition, Mauritius & India
June 2020
What is Fear?, Thessaloniki Queer Art Festival (TQAF), Thessaloniki, Greece
June 2020
Art Under Lockdown, Counterweave Art, Rome, Italy
May 2020
2020 Online Juried Exhibition (Director's pick), Anton Art, Michigan, USA
May 2020
Social Distancing Art Festival (SODA), Arrival Room, Germany
April 2020
Stay Hopeful, Thailand
April 2020
Homegrown, Imaaya Art Gallery, Phoenix, Mauritius
June 2019
EROS, Thessaloniki Queer Art Festival, MOMus, Thessaloniki, Greece
July 2018
Homomorphism II – Same-sex Intimacy, Queerala, Kerala History
Museum, India
June 2015
Kala Utsav. Print Exhibition, Rabindranath Tagore Institute (RTI),
Mauritius
May 2015
34th Salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
February 2015
Abolition of Slavery, Rabindranath Tagore Institute (RTI), Mauritius
November 2014
Glories of Bihar, Rabindranath Tagore Institute (RTI), Mauritius
June 2014
ARTchipelago, International Art Exhibition, pARTage, IFM, Rose-Hill, Mauritius
May 2014
33rd Salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
March 2014
8th Salon D’été, Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam (SSR) Gallery, Mauritius
December 2013
Aspects of China through Mauritian Eyes, China Cultural Centre, Bell Village, Mauritius
September 2013
​Migrantes, Spazio Tempo Arte, Italy
August 2013
Ex-poésie, St-Malo, France
August 2013
Original Print Exchange and Exhibition, Art space, Ontario Canada
May 2013
32nd Salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
April 2013
International 2nd World Art Day, ACA, Mauritius
March 2013
7th salon D’été, Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam (SSR) Gallery, Mauritius
May 2012
30th salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
November 2011
Windsor Printmaker’s forum, Ontario, Canada
November 2011
International Art Exhibition - Eco - Living, ACA- IBL Gallery Mauritius
August 2011
​Original Print Exchange and Exhibition, Art space, Ontario Canada
May 2011
31st Salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
July 2010
Battle of 1810, ACA- IBL Gallery, Mauritius
April 2011
International Association of Art, Mexico City
April 2011
5th Salon D’été, SSR Gallery, Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius
March 2008
Explosion des Couleurs, SSR Gallery, Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius
May 2010
29th Salon de Mai, MGI, Mauritius
December 2009
International portrait exhibition, ACA- IBL Gallery, Mauritius
June 2007
Festival Kreol, Carrefour des arts, Mahé Seychelles
October 2007
Foyer Rémy Ollier, Port-Louis, Mauritius