20 Women Running The Indian Art Scene

Source TheArtGorgeous by Abhinit Khanna
The ecosystem and infrastructure in South Asia looks credible more now than ever before by bringing in a steady stream of international visitors, collectors, researchers and curators. In India, Mumbai has often competed with Delhi to be the art capital when it comes to commercial galleries, institutions and museums. However, the scene is now mushrooming in cities like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata, by building new visual art spaces, enthusiasts and young art gallerists. India has also seen a huge shift in taste in arts, design and music. The younger generation is eager to explore and work in the field of visual arts and culture. They have also realized that it’s an industry, which was earlier controlled and enjoyed heavily by the upper class individuals making it difficult for the new entrants to succeed in the arts industry. While one can still argue that the wealthy individuals largely enjoy the power, some still have hope in few powerful opinions within the Indian art world. In order to shed light to these emerging as well as established powerful voices we made a comprehensive list of 20 leading ladies running the Indian art scene.
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An Extraordinary Homecoming

Source India Currents by Shonali Madapa
Barbara Kipper’s promised gift of 464 objects from her remarkable collection of Asian jewelry and ritual objects to the new Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bangalore, is exceptional in more ways than one. Besides being a gift, it’s the first time the Chicago art collector’s generosity has extended to an institution based in her collection’s geographic origin. While most countries strive to repatriate precious cultural artifacts forcibly taken away during oppressive foreign regimes in their varied pasts, what is unusual in this instance is Kipper’s firm belief that these artifacts rightfully belong to the culture of their origin.
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Converting art into alphabet

Source Livemint by Avantika Bhuyan
In fact, collaboration is at the heart of what Typecraft does. Founded in 2012 by visual designer and educator Ishan Khosla, in partnership with Andreu Balius and Sol Matas, the project is a one-of-its-kind, creating a digital typeface from a craft or tribal art. As Khosla states, the initiative combines traditional knowledge systems with design and digital technology. So far, the team has collaborated with craftswomen, who practice Chittara floor art, Godna tribal tattoos, Paakko and Soof embroideries, Madhubani art and the Barmer appliqué and patchwork. They have three type faces available in the market and four more are set to be out. The process of font creation varies from craft to craft, depending on the motifs and the ascribed meanings for each. The latest in the series revolves around the Mithila art from across the Madhubani district of Bihar. However, the work on that is going slow due to the ongoing pandemic. The Typecraft team has made a conscious decision to work only with craftswomen. “When you support women, the whole family benefits,” says Khosla. The idea is not just to provide livelihood but also bridge the gaps between design and craft, rural and urban, mainstream and the subaltern.
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