Three Women Miniature Painters Redefine Tradition in Take Art Magazine Essay

An essay titled 'Personal Mythologies' in Take Art Magazine examines the practices of three contemporary Indian miniature painters: Vinita Sharma, Mainaz Bano, and Gargi Chandola. The piece highlights how each artist, while rooted in the tradition of miniature painting, breaks away from its rules to express personal and collective experiences of womanhood. Vinita Sharma, trained under her husband Ajay Kumar Sharma, focuses on Mughal and Pahari styles, incorporating geometric designs inspired by Islamic architecture from her workshops in West Asian nations. Her works include a series on Kabir and themes of grandparents awaiting grandchildren abroad. Mainaz Bano, based in Lucknow, draws on the city's Indo-Islamic heritage and syncretic 'ganga-jamuni tehzeeb' culture. Her ambitious painting 'Evolution 2' reinterprets a court miniature of Begum Samru, including a self-portrait and figures from Lucknow society. Gargi Chandola, residing near the Aravali range, uses Rhesus Macaques in her miniatures to satirize human nature, as seen in works like 'Treasure Hunt' and 'Purge'. She also experiments with Turkish ebru-marbling to depict rock formations. The essay emphasizes that these artists, though possibly never meeting, contribute to a shared dialogue on the plurality of feminine existence. It also notes a resurgence of interest in miniature painting among younger artists.