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Kumari Nayika: Where Art Meets Empowerment

Prinseps, in collaboration with CITTA India and French artist Hélène Guétary, invites you to Kumari Nayika, an extraordinary exhibition that showcases the boundless power of imagination and education. This unique event, held on 14th and 15th December 2024 at Kathiwada City House, Mumbai, brings to life a visual narrative co-created by Hélène and sixteen young girls from the Rajkumari Ratnavati School in Jaisalmer. Through a captivating photographic fresco and striking portraits, the exhibition tells the story of Princess Rimjhim, a mythical figure born of the Sun and the River, embodying resilience, sustainability, and empowerment.

Kumari Nayika: Where Art Meets Empowerment

Eclectic Visions: Celebrating Modern Indian Art

Eclectic Visions unfolded in the bustling heart of Delhi, showcasing the rich tapestry of artistic expression. From poignant socio-political commentary to vibrant explorations of heritage and the fusion of jazz and art, our exhibit was a celebration of diverse voices and perspectives. The exhibit brought together four distinct voices, each weaving their narratives into the fabric of creativity.

Eclectic Visions: Celebrating Modern Indian Art

Capturing Delicacy: An In-Depth Exploration of Surendranath Ganguly's Masterpiece Kartikeya

Within the sphere of art historical exploration, the oeuvre of Surendranath Ganguly emerges as a subject of intriguing contemplation. A notable practitioner born in 1885, Ganguly's artistic journey found its genesis at the Government School of Art Calcutta, under the guidance of luminaries such as EB Havell and the visionary Abanindranath Tagore. Aligned with the artistic philosophy of Tagore, Ganguly, alongside Nandalal Bose, played an instrumental role in the revival of Indian artistic traditions that had been relegated to obscurity.

Capturing Delicacy: An In-Depth Exploration of Surendranath Ganguly's Masterpiece Kartikeya

A.A. Raiba: The insatiable artist

An unabating artist whose creative expression was unfazed by the trials and tribulations he faced, A.A. Raiba (b. 1922) was relentless; almost restless in his artistic pursuits till the very end saying, “Itni Umar Gayi, Kam khatam nahi Hua". [1] His visual narrative was derived from his love for Urdu poetry and Islamic Literature. Born in Mumbai, most of Raiba’s works exude nostalgia and are intimate observations of old Bombay and his travels all over the country. Raiba’s oeuvre is rooted in intensively researched history with influences from his lifelong practice in Calligraphy.

An interview with Lalitha Lajmi

A ray of light enters Lajmi’s room and falls on a half-painted canvas. The artist’s room is dipped in evening hues as twilight knocks on the door. Brushes stacked in paint holders stand in awe-filled unison like silent spectators as unsuspecting Lajmi continues to paint into the night. Seated on a wooden chair propped up on two cushions, Lajmi’s creative spirit knows no rest. Lalitha Lajmi’s nocturnal artmaking which was first born out of necessity is now a habit she has woven into her creative process.

Lalitha Lajmi's notes on Guru Dutt and her childhood

Lalitha Lajmi an Indian painter recalls her childhood days and memories with late filmmaker and brother Guru Dutt in these handwritten notes. These notes give us an insight into the influences that led her to nurture her passion for art and cinema. Read on to know more.

Lalitha Lajmi's notes on Guru Dutt and her childhood

Somnath Hore: the artivist

Somnath Hore was not one to paint the blue of the skies, the glitter of the sands, or the green of the whispering trees. Instead, he captured the helpless tremble of a hand, the frail body struck by hunger, lying on the ground. In Somnath’s vision, it was the stark reality of human suffering that demanded attention.

Documentation of Bhanu Athaiya's Heirloom Textile Collection

An intensive documentation and study of the personal textile collection of Bollywood's most iconic costume designer, Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya.

Documentation of Bhanu Athaiya's Heirloom Textile Collection

Ganesh Pyne: The Mystical Artist

An intensely private artist whose artistic imagination was fuelled by the strange, dark fantasy of his grandmother’s stories and charred by the horrors of his reality, Ganesh Pyne's paintings are quiet revelations of his personality. Pyne's intricate ink works, haunting temperas, and jottings are rich in imagery and symbolism, bordering along the uncanny and drawing our attention to a world beyond the familiar. His art deeply rooted in dark, unsettling images, derived from mythology and dreams.

Atul Bose and the Art of Portraiture

The art of portraiture seems much more enticing today when we live in a world where ‘portraits’ can be created at the click of a button with a single handheld device. There is something enigmatic about how artists in the past captured personalities with strokes of the brush and immortalized them in portraits. There is something romantic about the notion of portraits themselves, and how a sensitive artist could capture the physical characteristics as well as the psychological aspect of the subject of the portrait.

Shyam Sunder Lal's- Cawnpore

The freedom struggle in India saw a lot of posters made by Indians to unite the masses to oppose the British Raj. These posters or prints were often considered to be seditious material and were confiscated by the British.

Understanding Types of Prints

In simple terms, a print is created where ink is transferred from a block or plate on to a paper. Depending on the technique used, there are different outcomes and as a result, they have been further divided into categories. Each printing technique has its own distinctive style depending on the tools and materials used.

Chittaprosad : Linocut Prints

Born in 1915 in Bengal, Chittaprosad was a self taught artist and illustrator. He was educated in Chittagong, Bengal. He had no formal training as he refused to join the Government College of Art, Calcutta. He was also a member of the Communist party in India at the time and rejected the caste system.

1st View of the City of Benaras

Born 1775, James Moffat was a British engraver in India. He arrived in Calcutta in 1789 and trained as an engraver there. He was one of the many 18th century soldiers and travelers from Britain that began sketching detailed landscapes of the country.

An Account of East India Affairs

The London Chronicle, Vol II, No. 3346 from Tuesday, April 9 to Thursday, April 11, 1782, discusses the state of affairs in India as told by the East India Company at the House of Commons.

Henry Singleton's Art In India

Henry Singleton first rose to prominence as a contemporary history painter in a family that was known best for their miniature artworks. Born into an artistic family, Henry Singleton was raised by uncle William Singleton who painted portraits and miniatures. Although he dabbled in miniatures as well, his well-known works were portraits and historic paintings.

Somnath Hore’s Pictorial Language

Born in 1921 in Chittagong, undivided India, Somnath Hore studied at the Government Art College in Calcutta. His works represent the turbulent lives at the time of the Bengal Famine of 1943. His pictorial language in his sketches, sculptures, and prints is a reaction to one of the major crises that hit Bengal in the 20th century.