Artist and co-founder of the Kochi Muziris Biennale Bose Krishnamachari resigned from the Kochi Biennale Foundation on Wednesday, January 14. He cited family reasons for his resignation, said a statement from the KBF chairperson V Venu.
Bose was the President of the Kochi Muziris Biennale and member of the KBF Board of Trustees.
"After 15 years of being deeply committed and involved in building the Foundation and shaping the Biennale, from its inception as an artist-led initiative to what it is today, I felt this was the right moment to step back, for personal and family reasons, and to return more fully to my own artistic practice. The Foundation is in a strong place, and future editions are already gaining momentum, which gives me confidence and peace in making this decision," Bose said.
He also added that he was grateful to the Board, Advisory Council members, colleagues, collaborators, and the wider artist community for the trust, commitment, and shared labour that made this journey possible.
Bose, along with artist Riyas Komu founded the Biennale in Kochi in 2012, and was one of the co-curators of the first edition. Riyas had earlier stepped down from his management position, after he was accused of sexual harassment by a woman.
The KBF has initiated the process of ‘identifying an eminent person with high credentials in the art world to serve as President’, said the statement.
Hailing from the Magattukara village near Angamaly in Kochi, Bose went to Mumbai to attend the JJ School of Art for his graduation. He is known for his photorealism works, drawn from mass media, which come out as abstract paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography among other works of art. He put together an exhibition titled Lokame Tharavadu in 2021, comprising over 250 artists in Alappuzha.
Bose is a recipient of many awards including the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award. Earlier on Wednesday, he posted about winning the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Delhi College of Art.
The ongoing edition of the Kochi Biennale, which opened in December 2025, has run into controversy when an artwork by Tom Vattakuzhy was found offensive by certain Christian groups, forcing the painting to be pulled out of the exhibition.