Sculpting a new triumph story

Anish Kapoor, hailed as Britain?s greatest living sculptor, has been appointed to the committee of trustees at London?s Tate Gallery.

The man often hailed as Britain’s greatest living sculptor is in the news again. The Mumbai-born London-based Anish Kapoor has been appointed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair as one of the 12 trustees at Tate Gallery, London.

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Says senior sculptor K S Radhakrishnan: “It is time that the Indian government gave Anish Kapoor his due recognition. Till then, this honour is Kapoor’s alone and that too as a British artist.”

Kapoor, 51, has been quoted saying: “I’m an artist, not an Indian artist or a British Asian artist.” But then, Kapoor is known for making grand statements, more through his life-size sculptures. In 2002, he filled the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern with a giant steel and PVC sculpture called Marsyas — a 150m long ear-shaped trumpet. As the new entrant in the most powerful decision making body at Tate, Kapoor will have a say over the purchasing policy at all four Tates, namely Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives.

Since his first sculptures — simple forms covered with coloured pigments and arranged on the floor — Kapoor has developed an eclectic range of work using materials such as stone, steel and glass. While Kapoor has his future role etched out “simply as a sculptor”, his early life has been far from simple.

Kapoor has earlier said: “I had this feeling that if I didn’t make something, I just wouldn’t survive.” But survive he did and how! Winning the Turner Prize in 1991 was his “most fulfilling moment in life”. The man who says he considers himself an outsider must now surely reconsider.