Top 3 Women Painters In India: Know All About Them
Be it the pre-independence era or the post independence era, painting had been a predominantly male bastion in India. However, it was Amrita Sher-Gil who was the pioneer in the field of women painters in India. She was considered to be the ‘Frida Kahlo’ of India and was influenced by realism and her art depicted the everyday life of her community and surroundings. After her, many women have boldly ventured into unchartered paths like Nalini Malani, Nilima Sheikh, Jayasri Burman and others. However, here are three painters who have really managed to break the boundaries.
Anjolie Ela Menon
She is the leading light in the field of women painters and was born in 1940. Her first solo exhibition was at the age of 18 and her brilliance got her a scholarship from the French Government. Her forte lies in oil on masonite and her other mediums are water color and glass. She is also an accomplished muralist. Her paintings are in high demand and in 2006, her work “Yatra” was acquired by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, California. Her achievements and talent helped her to get a Padma Shree in 2000 from the Indian Government and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Delhi Government in 2013.
She is also a well known and renowned name in the field of painting in India. She was born in West Bengal and finished her education from New Delhi. Her art is heavily influenced by the weavers and traditional artists of India and during the 1970s, her paintings were abstracts in black and white. From 1980s, she started gravitating towards Bengali folk paintings and her strengths are watercolor on paper and oil on canvas. All her paintings try to portray a woman’s point of view in India. She was awarded a Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Parishad Samman, Sahitya Kala Parishad, New Delhi in 1991.
She was born in 1945 in Uttar Pradesh and is an eminent artist of India. Her works are in various mediums like weaving, ceramic, oil and gouache. Her subjects are usually women and include fantastical elements that are comments on the condition of women. While earlier she focused on realistic works, later on she moved to simpler and stylized paintings. Till date, she has nearly 30 solo shows in India as well as abroad. She has been felicitated with the National Award of the Lalit Kala Akademi.
These women painters have opened up new avenues for women and given them the support and inspiration to follow their dreams which at one point were only distant dreams.
Artistes are the ones who create an artifact through their eyes of imagination through these art forms. We, the common man get to witness a different view of our world and the way of living. Young and budding artistes have contributed to the contemporary art movement and as they have carved a niche for themselves — they have redefined the art zone.
The art scene in India has been no exception — there have been several promising artists and while many have established themselves, many again have been lost in oblivion. In the contemporary art scene in India there are a few young artists like Richa Agarwal Dalmia, Swati Pasari , Sanjeeta Ahmed and Surabhi Agarwal who are emerging.
