Anuradha Thakur artist

Anuradha Thakur artist

Anuradha is the Indian artist who has captured the essence of India’s tribal people in all their spirit and sanctity. Her work as ever has a strong root in the traditions of India. Her painting collection by the artist Anuradha Thakur transcends her actual experiences with tribal tradition. The collection mainly includes her paintings that describe the life and culture of tribal communities from different parts of India. It portrays the pulse and rhythm of tribal life displaying, at the same time, Anuradha’s sensitivity to the glamour of simplicity, the spectrum created by transparency and the desire evoked for the state of contentment.

Life of Anuradha thakur 

The wheel of life derives its strength and stability from tradition that is at its hub and derives its speed and continuity from individual expressions in harmony with time and place. Anuradha’s paintings portray, at once, the tribal culture rooted in tradition and the tribal life ever blossoming in accordance with the realities of existence. These paintings mainly focus on the rituals that create a bonding whether it is for newlyweds or for the community. Rituals, formal or informal, generate togetherness. Togetherness generates strength in the form of a quiet rhythm. The negativity of emotions like sadness and anger when woven into this creative rhythm of togetherness are metamorphosis into the emotion of happiness. The textures, patterns, forms, shapes and hues represent the regional flavour of traditional art from the different areas of India and their combination is such that the rawness and dignity of tribal life are juxtaposed to create a spontaneous pleasing expression. The loyalty of the rituals to tradition causes these representations that are regionally distanced to pulsate as if one sharing a common beat.

Anuradha Thakur’s signature style 

Anuradha Thakur’s signature style is the use of black and white that define strength complemented by earthen colours that subdue the black bringing to life the delicate emotions. The textures in her paintings are created by thin black lines that create the texture, add detail and depth. Black colour, here, represents the strength and sense of community that the people enhance by holding on to tradition and the earthen hues reflect the diversity of individual experience and expression. The use of black is generally considered to be heavy and hard and difficult to balance- but the way in which Anuradha uses it she renders it a lightness and grace in just the same way as the peculiarity of dance forms, the footwork, the costumes, the hairdo, the prints, decorations, ornaments and musical instruments, though varied, drum the common rhythm.

Anuradha Thakur, a graduate in Fine Arts and a state topper in the Diploma for Art Teachers entered into her tryst with tribal people in her childhood in Maharashtra. She was fascinated by the paintings of tribal women by Amrita Sher Gil during her Diploma. The flowing lines in the figures she draws show the influence of the paintings in the Ajanta caves. She began her interaction with tribal people when she organized art workshops with the Gond tribes in the Gadchiroli area of Maharashtra. She then worked with tribal/urban people in the IHMP, Pachod area near Aurangabad, and for SEARCH in the Gadchiroli area of Maharashtra. Her interaction with tribal people gave her valuable insight into their way of life and they became the subject of her work. She has since created several series of paintings based on tribal people, travelling to remote parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jhabua, Rajasthan & Northeast India.

A painting from the Festive Rhythm series was chosen to represent India in a CFM calendar featuring artists from 12 different countries..

She has presented a paper titled ‘Students’ qualitative development and behavioural changes through art as a medium’, which has been recognized and honoured by the State Government. She has also contributed a number of cover designs and illustrations for different publications including Oxford University Press, UK, Foundations like Hesperian Foundation California, etc. Twelve paintings from Song of Nature series have been selected for CRY calendar 2012 & greetings cards. She has published articles to promote understanding and appreciation of forms of art along with a critic’s perspective in news papers. She has attended various international and national camps for artists.

Ms Anuradha thakur achievements 

- Twelve Paintings from’’ Ethereal Rhythm’’ and’’ Ethereal Accords’’ selected for Cry calendars, Note book 2016

- Senior Art Critique from Argentina written a article on Anuradha in ‘’ Punto and Aparte’’ ( Magazine in Argentina ( 2015)

- The Magazine of EOI ‘’ Les Nouvelles de I’Inde(, Paris ) has dedicated column on Anuradha Thakur ( 2014)

- Twelve paintings from “Song of nature” series have been selected for CRY calendar 2012 & Greeting cards. (2012)

- One painting from the “Festive Rhythm” series were chosen to represent India in CFM calendar featuring artists from 12 different countries. (2010)

- Illustrations done for Oxford University Press, UK, ( 2010).

- Illustrations done for ‘Hesperian Foundation’ California,(2005)

- Conducted orientation for Primary Teachers based on new syllabus.

- Arts and Craft Training program for Anganwadi Teachers

- Number of Art and Craft workshop for children in Maharashtra.

- Picture project for books to bring awareness about watershed project, repairing of hand pumps and health care for rural population.

- Workshop in Arts and Craft for adolescent girls in 70 villages in Paithan Taluka, Maharashtra.

- Compiled a book on greeting cards by motivating children ‘create the cards’.

HONOURS:

2015 ‘’Punjab Art Council and We group ‘’ National Award for painting, Chandigarh

2015 CVM National award for painting, Vallabhnagar, Gujarat

2014 Ankur Sahitya Award for the book Anubhutinchya Spandanrekha

2013 Dr B. P. Hiwale Award for the book Anubhutinchya Spandanrekha

2013 Abhiruch Gaurav Award for the book Anubhutinchya Spandanrekha

2013 Varnecha Vagh Award for the book Anubhutinchya Spandanrekha

2013 Kavi Anant Fandi Award for the book Anubhutinchya Spandanrekha

2008 Award in All India Lokmanya Tilak Art Exhibitions, Pune.

1992 State award for research paper on Student Qualitative Development

& Behavioural Changes through art as a medium.

1983 A.T.D. (1st in state)

1982 State Art prize in State Art Exhibition