Arpana Kaur is a great artist, who was born in Delhi in 1954. She had a great interest in painting right from her childhood and as she grew her interest became a passion. Although, in college she was a student of
literature, her artistic ability was an inborn quality which developed by self learning and practice. After doing
M.A.in literature she went for learning art at St. Martin School of Art, London, but she did not complete
this course. Her paintings speak of social, political and environmental issues bringing up images of pain
and despair as well as strength and compassion. That is why she has made women and their problems as
one of her favourite subjects. The girl child, the condition of women and their sufferings are included in the
subject. She has also projected the growing violence in the world. Her paintings on Hiroshima, partition of
India and 1984 massacre of the Sikhs deal with violence of man on man. She has created several large noncommercial
murals on subjects relating to the environment in Delhi, Bangalore, and Hamburg. Arpana’s
work responds to the surroundings and events of her life, from the crowded Patel Nagar (Delhi) of her
childhood to events such as the rape of Maya Tyagi and the widows of the Chasnala mining disaster. There
is influence of Punjabi art and literature on her works. The literature and philosophy of Punjab contributes
to the Melancholy, mysticism and devotion that appear in her works and the pahari miniature tradition
provides her inspiration for pictorial beauty in the paintings. As a Sikh artist her love for religion finds
expressions in her pain in Sikhs massacre 1984 painting.
Her paintings also reflect images of spiritual masters such as Guru Nanak, The Buddha, yogis and many
other Gurus. She has won many rewards and appreciations for her works including All India Fine Arts
and Crafts Society (1985), Commendation Certificates at the Algires Biennale and Gold medal at the sixth
Triennle-India (1986) and the eminent artist nomination by Lalit Kala Academy (1990-91, 92). Award Her
works are a part of the collection of several important institutions including the Museums of Modern Art
in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Dusseldorf, Singapore, Bradford, Stockholm, Hiroshima and Los
Angeles, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the
Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. She now lives and works in New Delhi. She has collaborated with folk and
tribal artists and studies miniature paintings. Along with Ajeet Kaur she directs the Academy of Fine Arts
and Literature at Siri Fort and New Delhi.
