An afternoon at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Sydney is always a pleasant way of spending a Sunday, in particular if you get to see the first solo exhibition of Anish Kapoor.
Born in Mumbai, India in 1954, Anish Kapoor rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most celebrated and significant artists of his age. Like many creative individuals, Kapoor had an exciting, unconventional childhood that involved parents from diverse backgrounds. His father was Hindu and his mother was Jewish and both loved to travel. When he was just 16 years old the young artist immigrated to Israel, where he lived in a kibbutz for two years. It was there that Anish Kapoor decided to make art his life’s work.
His training began at the Hornsey College of Art and later Chelsea School of Art in Britain in 1973. It was there that he found a mentor in Paul Neagu, an artist who gave him inspiration as well as artistic direction. As he continued to hone his skills and refine his vision, young Kapoor worked as teacher at Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1979. But his talent and hard work did not go unnoticed for long. He became an Artist in Residence at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1982, which marked the start of his career as a professional artist.
