15 Facts About Hema Upadhyay

Hema Upadhyay was active from 1998 until her death in 2015.

Hema Upadhyay graduated from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda with a BFA degree in 1995 in painting, and a MFA degree in 1997 in printmaking.

Hema Upadhyay met her future husband and fellow artist Chintan Upadhyay in 1992.

Hema Upadhyay had her first solo exhibition, titled Sweet Sweat Memories, at Gallery Chemould, now Chemould Prescott road, in 2001.

Hema Upadhyay's paintings were usually characterised by the inclusion of small-collaged photographic self-portraits.

In 2001 Hema Upadhyay had her first international solo at Artspace, Sydney, and Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia, where she exhibited an installation titled The Nymph and the Adult she hand sculpted 2000 lifelike cockroaches, infesting the gallery with them.

In collaboration with Chintan Hema Upadhyay, she did a work titled Made in China, which spoke about mass consumerism, globalisation and a loss of identity through this.

Hema Upadhyay was the only Indian artist to be part of the inaugural exhibition for the Reopening of the MACRO museum, Rome.

In 2010, Hema Upadhyay was invited to a residency at Atelier Calder, Sache, France.

Hema Upadhyay tried to replicate the forest in her studio, though not in the literal sense.

In 2013, Hema Upadhyay had filed a harassment case against Chintan, accusing him of painting obscene sketches on the walls of their Mumbai flat.

Hema Upadhyay had contracted out her art fabrication work to Vidyadhar Rajbhar, the owner of Vanshraj Arts.

Hema Upadhyay's work was scheduled to be exhibited at the museum a few months after she died.

When Hema Upadhyay did not return home at night, her domestic help Mandal tried to contact her, only to find her mobile phone switched off.

In October 2023, Chintan Hema Upadhyay was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison by a Dindoshi court.