A contemporary multidisciplinary artist, Rathin Barman is noted for his works that explore the urban landscape of India.

Born in Tripura, Barman received his BFA (2008) and MFA (2010) in sculpture from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. He was Resident Artist at the Religare Arts Initiative (2010), the Sandarbh Residency in Rajasthan (2011) and the Vancouver Biennale (2015). While his work is not explicitly political, Barman has an interest in development and architecture within the city, which he considers an inherently political space. He translates this ideology into his work through interventions in the cityscape through creating sculptures, reliefs, drawings and organisation of collected objects with the aim of defining the city.

At his most recent solo show, titled Dimensional Distortion held at Experimenter, Kolkata, in 2020, he showed reliefs, drawings and sculptural pieces made of materials such as brass and reinforced concrete boards to create a built environment to express and distort architectural motifs. Barman further explored the theme of “home” through interviews with displaced families and their memories of the spaces they once inhabited. The works were organised within a curved structure, resulting in a cyclical experience that is central to Barman’s work.

Barman has also exhibited at Experimenter (2011); GallerySKE (2014); Birla Academy of Art & Culture (2014); Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014); Nature Morte, New Delhi (2014); Studio X, Mumbai (2014); and the India Art Fair, New Delhi (2014). His works are currently part of the collections of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, and the Devi Art Foundation, Delhi. He is represented by Experimenter, Kolkata.

As of writing, Barman lives and works in Kolkata.