Kiran Dixit is a one-of-a-kind nature lover who turns the beauty around her place into enchanting drawings and sculptures. She recreates God’s creations on this planet into artworks, especially those from Shantiniketan. From her pet cats to locals, she records her memories in sculptures that she creates and preserves for life. The 76-year-old artist whose priceless artworks are displayed at Mumbai's Jehangir Art Gallery until October 16 talked about her passion for art, inspiration and learnings, contributions to the field, and much more.
Artist Brings Alive Shantiniketan In Mumbai
Dixit's sculptures, drawings, and watercolours are inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's Land of the Red Earth, Shantiniketan -- which recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "I love Shantiniketan. It's heaven if I may say, my solace place," says Kiran Dixit while terming it as her all-time go-to destination. She confesses that her heart resides there even if she were in Mumbai to give others a glimpse of the place through her works. “When I’m away from Shantiniketan, I can’t wait to go back,” she continues while light-heartedly saying that she misses the natural landscapes of the place and her ‘boyfriend’ bull whom she regularly feeds and spends time with. Dixit tells us that her house is full of sculptures and she enjoys staying surrounded by them. She describes her rooms to many wood sculptures, stone carvings, and metal-based artworks.
Protest March | FPJ
Kiran Dixit On Her Artworks
Known for her stunning life-sized sculptures crafted from mild steel plates, she sees art in every element and material and transforms ceramic, stone, and metals into eye-soothing pieces of art. The highlight of the show were two detailed and huge sculptures that she held close to her heart; the first being the ‘Protest March’ and the second being another mild steel-based creation titled ‘Murgi Walli With 7 Murgies.’
Murgi Walli With 7 Murgies | FPJ
Her Love For Nature Inspires Her Creations
What do you do when your hands are off the clay or paint brush, we ask. To this, she smiles and replies: “If I wasn't a painter and a sculptor, I would have been a gardener. I love nature."
Why fear AI?
Also, it is interesting to note that the septuagenarian artist welcomes the idea of AI and visual art. "I am not worried about AI. What can it do to us? When the camera came out, impressionists were worried. But the camera has its own place, artists have their own place. Similar will be the case of AI, I believe.”
The Only Living Student Of Ramkinkar Da
Undoubtedly, she lives and breathes art. Along with the wrinkles, the bruises and burns she has on her skin due to welding activities subtly reflect on her dedication and love for sculpting. "My sculptures are my children. I talk to them and live with them,” she says, narrating her special connection with the installations. The artist goes down memory lane while talking about her journey. Being the only living student of one of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture, Ramkinkar Baij, Dixit refers to her guru as the Michelangelo of Indian Art.
"Everything inspires me, from human beings to animals. Art is my life. I can immerse myself in it and forget everything else,” the artist concludes.
Insight Into Upcoming Projects
Kiran Dixit revealed that she plans the next exhibition in Mumbai only three years later. Sharing insights about her upcoming masterpiece, she said that she is working on another Shantiniketan-inspired sculpture consisting of the trees with the langurs along with Santhal men smoking and talking to each other.
