In the 20th century, Indian female painters emerged from the shadows into the limelight by pushing boundaries in the artistic realm.
Accolades, awards, and international recognition slowly followed, as these women became icons in the history of Indian art.
By celebrating the dualities of existence—such as day and night—challenging social taboos, and recontextualizing traditional themes, these Indian women painters have become trailblazers in the modern world of art.
To help you explore more about these iconic Indian women artists, this blog will dive into their artistic journeys and reveal how they are making waves internationally.
Indian Female Painters Making Waves in the International Scene
Bharti Kher (London)
Born: 1969
About the Artist: Bharti Kher stands out as one of the Indian female painters from London who made a pivotal decision at the age of 22 to move to India, marking the beginning of her creative journey. Fascinated by India’s mythological stories, she developed a deep interest in the country’s rich culture and heritage, an influence that is amply reflected in her paintings.
Artistic Journey:
As one of the leading Indian female painters, Bharti Kher uses the Bindi (dot) as a primary material to amplify the aesthetic and cultural significance of her artworks.
The bindi holds spiritual significance as it is believed to activate the Ajna chakra, located between the eyebrows, thereby expanding consciousness to higher states.
As she explains, “the bindi to me represents the third eye”, one can immediately sense the spiritual symbolism in her artworks. However, her signature style delves deeper into the connection between the metaphysical and scientific worlds.
The artist enjoys projecting the dualities of life through her sculptures, often with concepts that are both allegorical and grotesque, yet decoratively enchanting. The hybrid realities she portrays are an extension of her own geographical and social identity.
Bharti Kher frequently uses discarded items to create her artworks, a cue to contemporary artists to make sustainable choices.
In a world that thrives on multi-sensory experiences, Bharti Kher has incorporated audio and expanded the boundaries of art into a more immersive, experiential realm.
By highlighting social taboos through art, Indian female artist Bharti Kher brings attention to the marginalization of sex workers. Their bare bodies become a reflection of their strength and willingness to embrace their vulnerabilities. This is where art merges with identity and social commentary on the plight of sex workers.
Whether it’s paintings, sculptures, or installations, the creations of top women painters like Bharti Kher are profoundly inspiring.
Achievements: She collaborated with the luxury brand Christian Dior to create Lady Dior bags with bindis.
Her most famous work, The Skin Speaks A Language Not Its Own (2006), fetched an auction price of US $1.5 million-the highest amount for a female artist in Indian history. Her art has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world.
Indian female artist Bharti Kher has bagged many prestigious global and national accolades, like the Sanskriti Award (2003), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2015). Her most extensive exhibition, “Alchemies” in the UK, which focused primarily on themes of mythology and womanhood, is widely regarded as iconic.
Anjolie Ela Menon (1940-)
Born: 1940
About the Artist: Famous Indian woman painter Anjolie Ela Menon was born to Bengali and American parents in Burnpur, Bengal, in 1940. She was deeply influenced by famous Indian artists’ paintings like Amrita Sher-Gil, Modigliani, Van Gogh and M.F. Husain. The latter also helped her organize her first exhibition and even promoted her artworks during the late 1950s and the early 1960s.
Artistic Journey:
The oil paintings from Anjolie Ela Menon’s teenage years are marked by energy and enthusiasm, characterized by bold contrasts in color, tone, and composition. In her early years, she had no formal training and painted with personal conviction.
During her time in Paris, supported by a government scholarship, she formally trained as a fresquist. Back in India, she gained recognition as a muralist, completing seventeen large-scale murals.
Anjolie Ela Menon also explored various media, including glass, acrylics, ceramics, and found objects. While in Paris, her work was heavily influenced by Christian art, and her interest in the female nude led to a distinctive blend of eroticism and melancholy.
Her paintings are often described as “enigmatic” or “mysterious.”
Primarily focused on figures, her work is known for its visual motifs and deliberate spatial arrangements. The embellishments in her artworks are not meant to be symbolic but are introduced to create perspective or tension.
Anjolie Ela Menon’s recontextualization of art is evident in her Mutations series, where she overpainted popular painting printouts using acrylics and oils.
Achievements: Renowned Indian female painter Anjolie Ela Menon has held solo exhibitions in Maharashtra, Delhi, and the United States. Her works have been auctioned internationally at prestigious houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s.
Several museums in India, including the National Gallery of Modern Art, have acquired her paintings. She has also participated in prominent group shows both in India and abroad. Anjolie Ela Menon was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India and the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Arpana Caur
Born: 1954
About the Artist: A largely self-taught artist, Arpana Caur was born in New Delhi. As a figurative painter, her work explores themes rooted in both antiquity and present-day realities. She enjoyed collecting miniatures, and her collection is now housed in an academy in Delhi for public viewing.
Artistic Journey: Famous Indian woman painter, Arpana Caur’s artworks are both feminine and feminist in their approach. Just as women hold the power to carry out everyday chores, they also possess the strength to renew and regenerate. Caur has explored themes of death, time, life, and violence—especially through the lens of historical events such as the Partition of India and the 1984 Sikh riots.
Her artworks are inspired by deeply personal and societal events, including her childhood in Patel Nagar, the rape of Maya Tyagi, and the bereaved widows of the Chasnala mining disaster. Her work is marked by elements of mysticism, devotion, and melancholy—possibly influenced by the rich literary and philosophical heritage of Punjab.
There are no traces of sensuality in her art, but it depicts the symbiotic relationship between women and nature, exemplified in Water Weaver, Rites of Time, and Stepping Out. Her works, such as Embroiderers and the series Thread of Life, are rich with metaphorical motifs.
From abstract figurative pieces to depictions of inequalities through broken-backed figures, a variety of themes are explored in her artworks. Within her oeuvre, tragic narratives are interspersed with spiritual elements, suggesting redemption during life’s darkest hours.
She also portrays the dualities of nature in her paintings to illustrate the incessant cycle of creation and destruction.
Achievements: The Museums of Modern Art in New Delhi hold collections of Caur’s work. Visiting global institutions such as the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco or the Albert Museum in London will expose you to her artworks. More than 20 museums worldwide feature her pieces. Her major awards include the Lalit Kala Grant and the AIFACS Award.
Bottom Line
Indian female painters like Bharti Kher, Anjolie Ela Menon, and Arpana Caur are leading figures in the Indian art landscape. These contemporary artists exemplify how women can shine on the international stage while upholding their Indian cultural heritage.
They have become an inspiration for emerging artists, especially women, in a world where male artists have long been known to take the centerstage. Their art spans a variety of themes, reflecting India’s rich cultural diversity, and these Indian women painters, through their remarkable work, have earned the prestigious privilege of representing India both within its borders and beyond.