Nitin Dutt

Born and raised in Chandigarh in March 1974, Nitin Dutt is a sculptor and educator whose practice explores the relationship between material, cultural identity and contemporary expression. Rooted in an Indian ethos and informed by international academic experiences, his work examines how sculptural traditions can be reinterpreted through evolving forms and ideas.

He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Government College of Art, Chandigarh, and a Master of Fine Arts in Plastic Arts from Banaras Hindu University. He later earned a second MFA in Sculpture from Michigan State University, USA, and pursued architectural studies at the University of Toronto, Canada. This multidisciplinary education has shaped his understanding of sculpture as both a physical process and a form of critical inquiry.

Stone lies at the heart of his sculptural practice, offering a material through which he investigates form, structure and the tension between permanence and transformation. His engagement with stone involves a sustained negotiation between its inherent character and the sculptor’s intention. The process of shaping, cutting and refining becomes an exploration of resistance and possibility, allowing forms to emerge through an exchange between material and gesture. Rather than treating stone merely as a medium, Dutt approaches it as an active participant in the creative process, whose texture, density and physical presence influence the final expression. His ongoing re-examination of sculptural language brings traditional craftsmanship into dialogue with contemporary thought.

Alongside his studio practice, Dutt serves as Assistant Professor of Sculpture at the Department of Plastic Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. He previously served as Principal and Centre Director of SAPTI-Ambaji and taught at the School of Planning and Architecture and Chitkara University, Punjab. He has curated seven stone sculpture symposia, encouraging exchanges among sculptors across generations, and founded AAKAR, an initiative dedicated to model artefacts.

His career includes six solo exhibitions and participation in national and international group exhibitions across India and North America. His work is held in public and private collections in both regions. He has received recognition from Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, AIFACS and Michigan State University.

Through his engagement with stone, Dutt continues to explore sculpture as a dynamic encounter between material, form and cultural memory.