Arpana Caur is a Sikh artist who was born in Delhi in the year 1954. Arpana`s main concern has been the girl child, condition of women and growing violence on women in India. Her paintings are figurative. Printmaking is also her forte. She attended Delhi University and graduated in 1961 with an MA in Literature.
She has participated in nine national, international exhibitions and art festivals, including the First Baghdad Biennale (1986), Algiers Biennale (1987) , Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro (1994-95). In 1995 Arpana executed the commission for doing a large painting for the Hiroshima Museum`s permanent collection, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Nuclear Holocaust.
She has displayed her works in many private and public collections in India and abroad including National Gallery of Modem AM New Delhi, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Bradford Museum, U. K.Kunst Museum, DÂsseldorf, Singapore Museum of Modem Art and the Ethnographic Museum, Stockholm.
Her early works remind one of the solid smoothed treatment of Gupta aesthetics, which was later blended with influences from Chola bronzes and provincial Mughal styles of the Deccan and the Himalayan foothills. Thereafter she ended up evolving a visual expression that draws on folk motifs however expressing concrete present-day concerns.
Her mother`s writings, Punjabi folk literature and the Pahari miniature tradition and Indian folk-art motifs have influenced her paintings immensely. Her art is a direct reflection of her personal experiences. Over the years women was the main focus and she captured the essence of their day to day activities which was inspired by social, cultural and spiritual themes.
Awards received by Arpana Caur:
* All India Fine Arts Society Award 1985
* Research Grant from Lalit Kala Akademi Delhi 1984-85
* Commendation Certifi cate in Algiers Biennale
* VI Triennele India Gold Medal for Painting, 1986
* She has served on the Jury of National Exhibition, 1989, and Republic Day Pageants 1990, `91, `92.
* Nominated Eminent Artist by Lalit Kala Akademi.
* On Selection Committee of Republic Day pageants for Ministry of Defense, Govt. of India, 1995-98.
* On Advisory Committee of National Gallery of Modern Art Delhi, Lalit Kala Academy and Sahitya Kala Parishad 2001.
* Curator for 1986 "Woman Artist Exhibition" for the Festival of India held in the USSR.
