Akara Art

AMRITA SHER GIL

Akara Modern

1913 -1941

Born in Budapest, Amrita Sher-Gil was the first noteworthy female artist to emerge out of India in the 1930s. On joining the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris in 1929, her painting style reflected the European idiom, owing to its naturalism and textured paint application. During her time in Paris, she was exposed to the work of Paul Cézanne, Amedeo Modigliani and Paul Gaugin. Her style underwent a radical change upon her return to India. The colours, textures, vibrancy, and earthiness of the people had a deep impact on the young artist. Consequently, she appropriated the language of miniatures in her works. She sought to reconcile her modern sensibility with traditional art-historical resources. This change was inspired by her travels within the country and explorations of the dynamic art styles that it withheld. Unfortunately, Sher-Gil’s career was cut short when she died of a sudden hemorrhage in 1941 at the age of 28, following her move to present-day Lahore. In her short life, Amrita has produced an extensive body of work.

Sher-Gil wrote several essays on art and penned various letters to her family and friends expressing her thoughts on Modern Indian Art and the vision she believed it could attain. Consequently, she played an indispensable role in the articulation of twentieth century Indian art and is a prominent influence for multiple generations of Indian artists.

Sher-Gil’s works have been declared national art treasures by the Government of India.