Despite showcasing his Art ‘Bucket’ in Phillips London, Subodh Gupta never leaves his Roots in Bihar.

Subodh Gupta, an artist attached to his culture, tradition and motherland. His every work represents his memories from his childhood that too spent in a very provincial part of Bihar, India. 

 In 2020, Phillips offer to showcase El Anatsui’s “Affirmation” in its art gallery. Five pieces from the Phillips February Day Sale go with Anatsui's "Affirmation" in A Vision in Red, including two by the late Louise Bourgeois, "Untitled" (2006) and "Spiral" (2010), Ghada Amer's "In Red and pale-RFGA" (2013), Halim Al Karim's "Untitled 1 (from the King's Harem series)" (2008), and Subodh Gupta's "Bucket" (2007). The pieces from A Vision in Red come together to create an immersive image of intricate texture and vivid color that is bound by their distinctive tonal dynamic.  

Indian kitchenware has gained international prominence thanks to Subodh Gupta. His six-meter-tall stainless-steel bucket in London was packed to the brim with kitchen utensils and pots and pans. 

Hindu kitchens require just the commonplace items that are overflowing out of the brim of the large bucket. These items serve as both the foundation for Gupta's creative language and the memories and experiences of his upbringing. The trifling accoutrements of the Indian lower-middle class are mobilized and reshaped by the artist into the play of meaning, essentially as the act of constructing various linguistic sequences utilizing syntax that is dependent upon the situation. 

In the 1990s, he began working in Delhi. By working with the state government on creative projects and contributing to the effort to generate money (through online art auctions) for the Kosi flood recovery, he kept his links to Bihar strong. One of several singers who came out against the "growing climate of hate and intolerance" in the country this week was him. 

After all this fame and praise from across the globe, Subodh Gupta still consisted to his roots in Bihar and his tradition that he experienced at his home in childhood. In the capital city of Bihar, Patna, he created a gigantic Cactus as a modern Patna’s symbols. It is a metaphor for Bihar and was commissioned by the state government to commemorate Bihar's 100th year as an administrative unit. 

Two red rings are attached to this structure, which is actually a cactus. Because it can survive in every situation, the cactus is a symbol of a strong existence. Gupta claimed in 2012 that the cactus symbolizes the toughness and adaptability needed to survive extreme weather conditions like storms and droughts. The cactus represents the Bihari people who endured during the dark times. 

His unique way of mixing everyday objects from India into his works—such as steel tiffin boxes, thali plates, milk jugs, different cooking utensils, bicycles, etc.—sets him apart from the competition. He produces stunning paintings, photography, performances, and movies in addition to his astounding sculptures and installations. 

Subodh Gupta has said of his preferred form of expression, "All of these things were a part of how I grew up. They were used in the rites and ceremonies I participated in as a child. Indians can either recollect them from their youth or have a desire to do so.