Kochi Biennale Foundation Hosts “Let's Talk” with TATA Trusts Students' Biennale National Awardees

Kochi / July 7, 2026

Kochi, 7 July: The Kochi Biennale Foundation will host the Let's Talk programme featuring Reppandee Lepcha and Durgesh Prajapati, recipients of the TATA Trusts Students' Biennale National Award 2025–26, on 8 July 2026 at 5:00 PM at SMS Hall, Mattancherry. The event is presented with the support of Kirloskar.

The event offers audiences an opportunity to engage with two emerging contemporary artists as they reflect on their residency and the ideas, processes, and research that inform their practices.

A practising artist from Sikkim, Reppandee Lepcha explores the intersections of language, materiality, ecology, and community narratives. Her current research examines the relationship between the endangered Lepcha language, cultural identity, and ecological memory, investigating how artistic practice can respond to the erosion of language, indigenous knowledge, and the community's enduring relationship with land and nature. Her project, Shifting Landscapes, curated by Anga Art Collective, was exhibited at VKL Warehouse, Mattancherry, as part of the Students' Biennale.

Durgesh Prajapati, currently pursuing an MFA in Sculpture at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, explores the expressive possibilities of terracotta through the traditional pottery practices of the Kumhar community of Uttar Pradesh. His current research investigates ways of reimagining functional earthenware within contemporary art, opening new possibilities for the craft while contributing to its continued relevance and the livelihoods of artisan communities. His work, Expression of Fragility, curated by GABAA, was presented at Arthshila Kochi, Fort Kochi.

The conversation will offer insights into the artists' respective practices, the ideas informing their award-winning projects, and their experiences during the residency programme.

The TATA Trusts Students' Biennale National Award recognises outstanding emerging artistic practices from across the country and supports recipients through a residency programme facilitated by the Kochi Biennale Foundation.

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