Indians are breaking records in so many different fields every single day and as it turns out, we are not to be left behind in art as well. After becoming the first Indian artist ever to be exhibited at Centre Pompidou, Paris back in 2017, Nalini Malani has become the first Indian to win one of the most coveted awards for an artist- the Joan Miro Prize. The award comprises a cash prize of 70,000 euros (Rs 54 lakh) along with a cover of the production cost of a solo exhibition of the work by the winning artist at Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona. One of the most prestigious contemporary art awards in the world,Joan Miro Prize is awarded every two years and recognises present-day work by artists who show the same spirit of exploration, innovation, commitment and freedom that characterised Spanish painter and sculptor Joan Miro's life and work. Malani, who is the seventh recipient of the prize, as per the jury, was awarded for her impressive body of work that gave a voice to "the silenced and the dispossessed all over the world, most particularly women through a complex artistic quest based on immersive installations and a personal iconography where a profound knowledge of ancient mythologies converges with a bold condemnation of contemporary injustices." Nalini Malani, who resides in Mumbai, was born in Karachi in 1946. Her family sought exile after the Partition of India. Her family’s background, colonialism, and living through the British Indian Empire and its aftermath act as a catalyst for her work through which she explores notions for female subjectivity and human existence. A pioneer in film, photography, installation, video art and performance in India, Malani studied fine arts at the JJ School of Art in Mumbai and then spent two years in Paris with a scholarship from the French government. "If people experienced life with art under their skin then many of the world's problems would have solutions. Without art, there is boredom, and with boredom, violence," Malani said to Indo-Asian News Service. NOW READ Fighter pilot Bhawana Kanth becomes India’s first woman pilot to undertake combat missions Meet Umang Shridhar, a social entrepreneur reviving Khadi who has made it to Forbes 30 under 30 list Here’s a list of top 25 companies where Indians want to work > More on Get Smart
Nalini Malani has become the seventh Indian artist to win the Joan Miro Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art awards. The artist will receive a prize of €70,000 ($78,000) and the production cost of a solo exhibition of her work at the Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona. Malani, the first artist to win the award, was chosen for her years of artistic exploration and giving a voice to "the silenced and the dispossessed all over the world". Born in Karachi in 1946, the artist's family was exiled after the Partition of India and she now lives in Mumbai.