As the pandemic hit the country in 2020, a lot changed in the art world. An industry that mostly relied on exhibits and galleries saw a halt of kinds. But with lockdowns coming to an end and the rise of NFTs, artists have been seeing a ray of hope. These Indian women did their best to make a difference with their artistic prowess this year!
Kiran Nadar
As the Chairperson of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi, Nadar has brought different forms of art to the forefront. In 2021, they launched the Art of Sustainability series to bring environmental issues to the forefront and hold discussions about its preservation with guests like Bandana Tewari, Varun Rana, Rina Singh and many more. The series was made completely virtual as a way to make art accessible to all. The KNMA also featured many artists practising their art on camera, held various art classes virtually to help art reach all.
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Bharti Kher
One of India’s most renowned contemporary artists, Bharti Kher, along with husband Subodh Gupta, dedicated the proceeds of their 2021 show to COVID relief operations across India. The show included a series of works by Kher, titled A Small World Together, which featured maps and her signature motif- the bindi. The works included maps that had bindis laid out in different forms as an aesthetic blend of geophysical mapping and the bindi.
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Jaya Asokan
India Art Fair’s newly appointed director, Jaya Asokan, once worked at one of India’s major online art auction houses, Saffronart. Asokan is all set to bring some valuable changes to IAF that is set to take place in February 2022. She recently announced that the art event will be more inclusive and accessible, including features like Braille guides and tactile representations of important artworks, along with sign language interpreters and wheelchair services provided for visitors, amongst other helpful services.
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Aparajita Jain
Co-director of the Nature Morte gallery, Aparajita Jain, launched India’s first blockchain-powered platform, Terrain.art, which is solely dedicated to South Asian artists and art sales. While the move marked India’s entry into the global digital art and NFT boom and helped Indian art break barriers through technology.
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Bhuri Bai
A part of the Bhil tribal community of Madhya Pradesh, Bhuri Bai made headlines recently as she was awarded the Padma Shri. The Bhil artist is first female artist from the community to paint on paper and her paintings have been exhibited internationally in the UK and USA as well. The artist, who was once a daily wage construction worker, is a true inspiration and proof that art has no boundaries.
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