Archive · 14 Dec 2025
Dhiraj Rabha's Art Journey from Assam Camp to Kochi Biennale
Dhiraj Rabha is an artist who grew up in a special camp in Assam, India, because his dad was part of a group called ULFA.
Now, he's showing his art at a big event called the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
His artwork has big colorful flowers that have tiny microphones inside, playing news about ULFA and the lives of people in the camp.
There are also big wooden boxes with videos of people who lived in the camp.
Rabha's art is about his experiences and the things he saw and felt while growing up.
He studied art in a famous school called Visva Bharati in Santiniketan, which changed his perspective on life and art.
His artwork is a way for him to share his story and the stories of others who lived in the camp.
Dhiraj Rabha's installation at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale features illuminated pitcher plants with embedded microphones playing news reports related to ULFA and life in Assam.
The artwork also includes videos of interviews with residents of ex-ULFA detention camps, housed in towering wooden boxes resembling watchtowers from Rabha's childhood.
Rabha grew up in a detention camp in Goalpara, Assam, after his father, an ex-ULFA member, surrendered when Rabha was five years old.
Rabha studied political science and later pursued art at Visva Bharati in Santiniketan, which significantly influenced his artistic perspective.
The installation aims to convey the complexities of life in the camp and the restrictions faced by its residents, while also reflecting on the artist's personal journey.
- Who
- Dhiraj Rabha, an artist from Assam, India
- What
- An art exhibition at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale featuring Dhiraj Rabha's installation
- When
- During the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale
- Where
- Coir Godown in Aspinwall House, Kochi
- Why
- To showcase Rabha's artistic journey and his experiences growing up in an ex-ULFA detention camp
- Artist
- Dhiraj Rabha
- Current Exhibition
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale
- Location of Exhibition
- Coir Godown, Aspinwall House
- Artwork Theme
- Life in ex-ULFA detention camps
- Artist's Background
- Son of an ex-ULFA member, grew up in a detention camp in Goalpara, Assam
- Artist's Age
- 30
- Artist's Education
- Political Science, Art at Visva Bharati, Santiniketan