Open to opportunities

harshada raju

@harshadaraju

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Art historian and curator specializing in South and Southeast Asian modernism.

India

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What I'm looking for

I seek curatorial or research roles in institutions valuing interdisciplinary art history, regional modernism, feminist and LGBTQ+ perspectives, offering collaborative projects and opportunities to contribute to exhibitions, publications, and public programming.

I am an art historian and emerging curator with an MVA in Art History and Aesthetics from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, grounded in interdisciplinary research across contemporary art, pop culture and regional traditions.

My research and dissertations examined women artists in Cholamadal Artists’ Village and pedagogy's role in the Madras School of Arts and Crafts, reflecting a focus on gender, modernism and living traditions.

I have presented and published papers at national graduate and researcher conferences and contributed curatorial notes, catalogue texts and exhibition support for institutions and festivals.

I combine practical curatorial experience, event volunteering and design/social media administration with collaborative work in collectives like Neo Baroda, and I speak English, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Design & Admin Associate

Current

Gallery Veda

Jan 2025 - Present (9 months)

Handled design, social media, and administrative tasks to support gallery operations and audience engagement through content creation and coordination.

Graphic Design Social Media Management Administration Content Creation Event Coordination

Curatorial Assistant

Tapi Festival / Science City

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 9 months)

Co-curated the 'At Crossroads' group exhibition for the Tapi festival at Art Gallery Science City, coordinating artist selection, installation planning, and exhibition curation.

Curatorial Writing

Volunteer Coordinator

Serendipity Arts Festival

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 9 months)

Volunteered at Serendipity Arts Festival, assisting with festival walkthroughs and supporting artist sessions, including guiding the walk-through for Tarun Balani.

Volunteer coordination event support Communication Logistics

Catalog Writer

Bharat Bhavan

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 9 months)

Authored catalogue text for the Avkash (अवकाश) exhibition, providing contextual analysis and artist-focused interpretation to support the exhibition narrative.

Research Editing Exhibition Texts Art History

Research Intern

Sarjan

Jan 2022 - Present (3 years 9 months)

Supported the 'Variegated Blossoms' project as an intern project assistant, conducting research, documentation, and assisting with exhibition logistics to facilitate successful delivery.

Research Documentation Exhibition Logistics Photography Writing

Exhibition Content Writer

Quiescent Online Exhibition

Jan 2020 - Present (5 years 9 months)

Prepared curatorial notes and artist bios for the Quiescent online exhibition, producing clear interpretive texts to contextualize the works and artists.

Curatorial Writing Content Editing Research Digital Exhibition

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Master of Visual Arts, Art History and Aesthetics

Activities and societies: Paper presentations and publications at university national seminars and conferences; participated in departmental workshops and curation events.

Master of Visual Arts (MVA) in Art History and Aesthetics from the Faculty of Fine Arts, completed in 2024 with a dissertation on pedagogy in the Madras School of Arts and Crafts.

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Bachelor of Visual Arts, Art History and Aesthetics

Activities and societies: Participated in university seminars and workshops; member of recording/photography/editing teams for departmental events.

Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in Art History and Aesthetics from the Faculty of Fine Arts, completed in 2022 with a documentation dissertation on women of Cholamadal Artists' Village.