Lalitha lajmi biography
In this first critical volume and biography of the Indian artist Lalitha Lajmi, author Skye Arundhati Thomas delves into Lajmi's archives, papers, letters, and sketchbooks in pursuit of clues about the artist's character and path.
Arundhati-Thomas also reveals the critical role that psychoanalysis played in the evolution of Lajmi's art into the realm of the conceptual and, specifically, a distinctly situated form of autoethnography. Studying Lajmi's relationship with her psychoanalyst, Thomas describes how these sessions fueled a practice of self-portraiture that formed the bedrock of the artist's practice.
Imagine/otherwise presents critical biographies of underrepresented queer, non-binary, or female-identifying artists. Edited by Omar Kholeif, the series emphasizes the concept of "female worlding" with books that serve as field guides into previously unexplored, overlooked, or inaccessible artistic lives. The overall proposition of the series (to "imagine" a world "otherwise") stems from the desire to find a different way of writing and reading about art. Can art be examined unreservedly, unburdened of the limits imposed by the dominant hand of hegemony?
Current editorial advisors for the series include Skye Arundhati Thomas, Zoe Butt, Carla Chammas, Alison Hearst, and Sarah Perks.
Skye Arundhati Thomas is a writer based in Goa, India. Her writing has appeared in Artforum, the London Review of Books, Frieze, and ArtReview, among other places. She is an editor of The White Review.
Self-taught painter Lalitha Lajmi (1932–2023) was born in Kolkata, India, into a family with a keen interest in the arts, yet her artistic fervor was nonetheless limited by her circumstances. As a single mother, Lajmi set up her first studio in her garage, working on her multivalent practice long into the night. Her initial investigations began with realism and later moved into expressions of Tantrism and the concept of Bindu. Critical acknowledgment of Lajmi's
Self-taught painter Lalitha Lajmi (1932–2023) was born in Kolkata, India, into a family with a keen interest in the arts, yet her artistic fervor was nonetheless limited by her circumstances. As a mother, Lajmi set up her first studio in her garage, working on her multivalent practice long into the night. Her initial investigations began with realism and later moved into expressions of Tantrism and the concept of Bindu. Critical acknowledgment of Lajmi’s work would not materialize until the very end of her life. The artist died soon after her first museum survey at Mumbai’s National Gallery of Modern Art.
In this first critical volume and biography of the artist, author Skye Arundhati Thomas delves into Lajmi’s archives, papers, letters, and sketchbooks in pursuit of clues about the artist’s character. Arundhati-Thomas also reveals the critical role that psychoanalysis played in the evolution of Lajmi’s art into the realm of the conceptual and, specifically, a distinctly situated form of autoethnography. Studying Lajmi’s relationship with her psychoanalyst, Thomas describes how these sessions fueled a practice of self-portraiture that formed the bedrock of the artist’s practice.
An interview with Lalitha Lajmi
A ray of light enters Lajmi’s room and falls on a half-painted canvas. The artist’s room is dipped in evening hues as twilight knocks on the door. Brushes stacked in paint holders stand in awe-filled unison like silent spectators as unsuspecting Lajmi continues to paint into the night. Seated on a wooden chair propped up on two cushions, Lajmi’s creative spirit knows no rest. Lalitha Lajmi’s nocturnal artmaking which was first born out of necessity is now a habit she has woven into her creative process.
The walls are defining spaces in Lalitha Lajmi's living room that speak volumes about her creative personality. Behind her rocking chair, you see a universe of books that reflects 89 years of Lajmi's life. Art and artistry remain confined within Lajmi's gorgeous suburban apartment. Her paintings and some of her late daughter Kalpana's works adorn the walls of her home. And amidst it all, in her rocking chair that creaks with wisdom; sits Lajmi, draped in a gorgeous saree eager to answer your questions.
- When did you realise you wanted to be an artist?
I was born and brought up in Calcutta. My uncle B.B. Benegal was a commercial artist and painter at that time. He gifted me a box of paints when I was just five years old, and that was the beginning of my artistic desire. He did not just encourage me but also my brother Guru Dutt to pursue our dreams. When we moved to Bombay from Calcutta, I began studying commercial art at the J.J. School of Art. However, I got married very young. After that, I did not really have the time to follow my interests for a while. I was still very keen to practice art and once we moved from Matunga to Colaba, I slowly began to see art exhibitions on my own. I was completely swept by the arts. At that time, I had also begun teaching art for a while at two schools in South Bombay - the Convent of Jesus and Mary and Campion. 1973 onwards I began attending evening class Indian painter (1932–2023) Lalita Lajmi (17 October 1932 – 13 February 2023) was an Indian painter. She was a self-taught artist born into a family involved in the arts, and was very fond of classical dance even as a child. She was the sister of Hindi film director, producer, and actor Guru Dutt. In 1994, she was invited to the Guru Dutt Film Festival, organised by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the Indian High Commissioner at Nehru Centre, London. Her work was also influenced by Indian films such as those made by her brother, Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor. In one of her interviews Lalitha Lajmi said that, being from a middle-class background, her family could not afford her joining classical dance classes. She was from a traditional family and hence developed an interest in art. Her uncle B. B. Benegal, who was a commercial artist from Kolkata, brought her a box of paints. She seriously began painting in 1961 but in those days one could not sell one's work and hence she had to teach in an art school to support herself financially. While teaching she worked with disabled and underprivileged children. Her first painting was sold for just Rs. 100 to a German art collector, Dr. Heinzmode. He used to take her works and in exchange gave her works of German artists or some books. Lajmi said that her work had no particular direction until the late 1970s. Then she started evolving and started doing etchings, oils and watercolors. Her 1990s work which show hidden tensions that exist between men and women captured different roles they play. But her women were not meek but assertive and aggressive. She even used images of Kali and Durga in her work. Her closest inspiration was a series she painted called "The Family series" and this work was displayed at Chemould. Her parents were originally settled in Karwar but relocated to Bangalore. Lajmi's fat Lalita Lajmi
Personal life