Avantika Bawa’s (b. 1973) practice emphasizes the intersections where drawing and sculpture, stasis and motion, and the functional and non-functional intermingle. Geographic and architectural differences in landscape strongly inform her work. Bearing in mind a location’s prior use, she creates wall drawings and/or paintings, and repurpose and rearrange functional objects to create temporary installations on-site. Her approach is influenced by Minimalism and its emphasis on reductive form, modularity, and experimentation with scale. These installations invite the viewer to experience the crossroads between the utilitarian, historical, and aesthetic qualities of each space.

Bawa attended the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, ME, in 2008, earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1998, and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, in 1995. Currently, Bawa serves as a Professor of Fine Arts at Washington State University Vancouver, where she started as an assistant professor in 2010, was promoted to associate professor in 2016, and achieved the rank of full professor in 2023.

The artist's extensive portfolio of solo exhibitions spans decades, showcasing a profound engagement with contemporary themes, site-specific installations, and diverse media. Recent highlights include "Chandigarh 1952" at Gallery Blueprint12, New Delhi (forthcoming, 2025), "A Brutal Affair" at the Center for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR (2024), and "simplenothingsimplesomething" at University Galleries of Illinois State University (2023). Notable past exhibitions include "Charged Voids" at Portland Community College (2022), "Constructing Darkness" at Agenda, Portland, OR (2021), and "APEX (COLISEUM)" at Portland Art Museum, OR (2018). Significant earlier works such as "Parallel Faults" (2017) at Los Angeles Valley College and "Aqua Mapping" (2015) at the White Box of the University of Oregon highlight the artist's thematic focus on spatial narratives. Milestone exhibitions like "Flood. Control" (2014) at Schneider Museum of Art and "Mapping (Kochi)" (2013) at Pepper House in India delve into the interplay of geography and identity.

The artist’s solo projects further extend her exploration of site-specific narratives. Recent installations include "Scaffolds by the Sea" (2024) in Bondi Beach, Sydney, and "Pink Scaffolds in the Pink City" (2024) at Madhavendra Palace, Jaipur, curated by Peter Nagy. Landmark works like "Mineral Spirits" for Portland2016: A Biennial of Contemporary Art and "Neon Laundry" (2015), a City of Seattle project, underscore the artist's commitment to socially engaged art practices.

Bawa’s group exhibitions include "Wall Flowers" (2024) at Greene, GA, curated by Craig Drennen, and "Pattern, the Grid, and Other Systems" (2023) at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. In 2023, the artist's work was featured in "SITE Seeing" at Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City, and "Mycelial Legacies" at Bikaner House, New Delhi, in conjunction with Anant Art Gallery, curated by Deeksha Nath. Other significant exhibitions include "E/Merge" (2021-22) at the National Indo American Museum of Art, Lombard, IL, curated by Shaurya Kumar, and "Template Days" (2021) at the University of Kentucky Museum, KY, curated by Stuart Horodoner.

In 2020, the artist exhibited at "Hallie Ford Fellows" at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, OR, and "Endless State" at Skowhegan Office, New York. The artist also participated in "On Big Drawing" at Columbia College, Chicago, and "The End is Near" at Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, curated by Craig Drennen. Earlier exhibitions include, "10 Years of Nes" in Iceland (2018), "Dislocation" at PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR (2017), and "Costumes, Reverence, and Forms", held at Vox Populi, Philadelphia, and the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR. The artist also participated in "Portland2016: A Biennial of Contemporary Art", presented by Disjecta and curated by Michelle Grabner and "Whorled Explorations" (2015) at the Kochi Biennale, India.

Avantika has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards throughout her career, including: 2024 Career Opportunity Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the prestigious Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts in 2018, awarded by The Ford Family Foundation. Her achievements also include multiple project and professional development grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council in Portland, Oregon, and research-focused awards such as the Washington State University Vancouver Research Mini Grant (2016–2022) and the Early Achievement in Scholarship/Research Award from Washington State University. Furthermore, the artist was awarded the Joan Shipley Award in 2013, recognizing her individual artistic excellence.
Other highlights include the Golden Spot Residency Award at Crow’s Shadow and the Jentel Artist Residency Grant in Wyoming. Early in her career, the artist received the VSC Fellowship supported by the Joan Mitchell Foundation and the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Award from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, both of which set the foundation for her artistic practice. 

Avantika lives in Portland, Oregon, USA.