Devyani Krishna

Devyani (or Devayani) Krishna (1910 - 2000) was an Indian painter, print-maker and a teacher. She was also involved in research work about Indian toys, folk motifs and batik work. Devyani was regarded as 'India's foremost woman artist' of the day by the art critic Richard Bartholomew for her diverse body of works that she showcased in India and Europe.

Along with her husband Kanwal Krishna, she had traveled to the Himalayas and documented the arts & culture of the region through their artworks. Her paintings are deeply influenced by her experiences during this tour.

Early life and education
Devyani was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. In the 1930s, the city developed as a center for modernist experiments in the International Style under the patronage of Yashwant Rao Holkar II, the Maharaja of Indore. He had commissioned German architect Eckart Muthesius to design and develop the Manik Bagh palace. The king had also collected works made by the sculptor Constantin Brâncuși and architect Le Corbusier.

These developments in the city had an influence on Devyani from an early age. Moreover, her first art lessons came under the guidance of the master artist and teacher D. D. Deolalikar. In the year 1936, she moved to Bombay and joined Sir J. J. School of Art to pursue her interest in painting. After graduating in 1940, she also completed a specialization in mural painting.

Career
Devyani had married fellow artist Kanwal Krishna in 1942. Both of them retreated to the Himalayas and travelled through Sikkim, the Tibetian border and the North-West Frontier Province from 1949 to 1952. Their paintings from the travels included Tibetian masks, their ritual dances and several aspects of Buddhist art among others. These were also tumultuous times for people in the region. The couple witnessed the loss of autonomy of the Tibetian Buddhists to China. In 1951, China got complete control over Tibet which sent Buddhists into exile.

After returning from the trip, Krishna joined as an art teacher at Modern School, New Delhi. She taught at the institute from 1954 to 1977, when she retired as the Head of the Art Department.

Style
Devyani's works show her strong sense of design which are well complemented with a suitable composition and color harmony. Irrespective of the medium, her artworks included sacred symbols and their concepts were based on the universal themes of family, war and religion.

Devyani's fascination with Tibetian and Buddhist culture was subsequently incorporated into her paintings. When she was asked about the dark aesthetic of her painting titled Veiled Mask, she had replied,"No, it is not sad. This is a veiled mask. It is very hard to get to know people. This is just a human being behind two masks." Through such imagery, she responded to the tragedy that was unraveling in front of her during her travels in the Himalayas.

Reception
In 1972, Richard Bartholomew, the art critic at The Times of India wrote about the rise of printmaking in India from the 1960s. He described Devyani as 'perhaps the maturest printmaker in India'. Further, he also added,"She brings both a philosophy and sensitivity to printmaking that are exceptionally rare. Her prints carry the impress of a mystique, besides being technically interesting."

Public collections
The artworks of Devyani are housed in the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Delhi Art Gallery, and Waswo X. Waswo Collection to name a few.

Exhibitions

 * 1941 - First solo show at Calcutta
 * 1996 - Modern Indian Paintings - One Hundred Years, Part I, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India
 * 2005 - Golden Jubilee: Spirit Set Free, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India
 * 2015 - Abby Grey and Indian Modernism: Selections from the NYU Art Collection, Grey Art Gallery, NYU, New York
 * 2020 - The Fifties Show, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
 * 2021 - A Place in the Sun: Women Artists from 20th Century India, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India