Lalitha Lajmi (1932 – 2023) was born in Kolkata, hailing from an artistic lineage that fuelled her passion for classical dance and painting. Opting for painting, she became an unparalleled watercolourist, using her art to weave a nuanced narrative of the evolving role of the modern Indian woman post-Independence. Her canvases often depicted the portrayal of underlying tensions between genders in diverse roles. Despite the complexity, her female subjects emerged as assertive and individualistic, infused with autobiographical nuances.
Delving into intaglio and etching through a government-sponsored program at JJ School of Art, she established a press in her kitchen, producing prints showcased in a 1983 exhibition across West and East Germany.
Her artwork, imbued with metaphors referencing relationships, dream sequences, and identities, incorporates symbols like the performer, the mask, and the skull drawing from personal history.
Notable institutions such as the National Gallery of Modern Art, British Museum, and CSMVS Museum Bombay house her works. In 2023, she had her retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai.
