Priti Vadakkath (b. 1971, Kochi, Kerala) is an artist whose practice moves between figuration, abstraction and an ongoing engagement with nature, memory and human relationships. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History of Fine Arts from Stella Maris College, Chennai, followed by a Diploma in Accessory Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi. After working in jewellery design, she returned to her art practice in 2006. In 1996, she was the recipient of the De Beers Indian Jewellery Design Award.
Vadakkath’s earlier works, largely figurative and portrait-based, explored identity, childhood, memory and the complexities of human relationships. Over time, her practice has expanded into a more intimate engagement with the natural world, shaped by her longstanding interest in horticulture, ecology and sustainability, as well as her experiences of motherhood and caregiving, which have informed her understanding of care, interdependence and coexistence. This connection between the personal and the ecological runs through her work, where memories and fragments of the past meet the realities of the present. Haunting yet exuberantly innocent, her works carry a longing for what has passed while remaining attuned to the quieter, more melancholic rhythms of the present. Through layered forms, organic references and expressive mark-making, she explores growth, decay, resilience and transformation, often drawing parallels between ecological systems and human relationships.
She has presented her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in India and internationally. Her solo exhibitions include Four Times Five is Twelve at The Viewing Room, Mumbai (2010) and Reliving the Past with all my Might at Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi (2011). Her work has been exhibited at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Lokame Tharavadu, India Art Fair, and internationally in Latvia, the United States, Dubai, Seoul and Beijing, among others. Her works are held in private collections and museums in India and abroad.