Important Notice

B Prabha, whose works are part of Air India’s distinguished collection of modern Indian art, worked with a variety of mediums and styles before settling on her trademark style. She uses the lengthened figures of women, which form the principal subject of her oeuvre, to delve into issues plaguing society. The present lot is an example of this practice: in the foreground is a figure of a rural woman drawn in bold lines and easily recognisable as... B Prabha, whose works are part of Air India’s distinguished collection of modern Indian art, worked with a variety of mediums and styles before settling on her trademark style. She uses the lengthened figures of women, which form the principal subject of her oeuvre, to delve into issues plaguing society. The present lot is an example of this practice: in the foreground is a figure of a rural woman drawn in bold lines and easily recognisable as such by her garments, rendered in a bright white. She wears a grave expression while positioned in front of a background of winding green gourd vines. Central to B Prabha’s body of work is a concern with fitting visual renderings of the female experience. In her words, “The core theme of my paintings was always women and their sufferings... They exude so many emotions to portray.” (“A peep into artist B. Prabha’s oeuvre and her inspirations”, The Arts Trust, 2011, online) The artist explains her choice of subject for her works as being the result of thorough attentiveness to women, “I have seen many women and even studied them closely. And I have yet to see one happy woman. Women can create beauty... Women crave for happiness and appreciation all their lives.” (The artist in an interview with Nivedita Jayaram Pawar, “B Prabha, Painter”, YoungBuzz, online)

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site