The Artist

Beyond Strokes - My Book

Kiran Soni Gupta is a robust artist, prolific writer and an activist administrator. She is presently Divisional Commissioner, Jaipur  and also Vice Chancellor of JRR Sanskrit University in Rajasthan. Committing herself to public services in 1985 she had distinguished assignments in the Government of India, Kerala & Rajasthan. Her commitment and passion led her to study public policy and development at the Maxwell School Syracuse and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University where she was a Mason Fellow in 2005-06. Her concerns about various contemporary issues have been expressed regularly in her writings in many national/ international newspapers/journals.

Kiran’s creative outpourings are at its best with brush strokes. Her works reflect not only her conviction on issues of women, children, poverty, development and environment, but also her sensitivity, keen observation, and also, an abounding faith in humanity.

Kiran has given new dimensions to art forms, both traditional and modern through her wideranging artworks- diverse in themes, style and media. Creativity with colors and experimentation has given her work depth as well as impact. Deriving the best from her  assignments in different regions of India from the  tropical forests and beaches of Kerala and the desert scrublands of Rajasthan have provided her opportunities to explore the nature and human mind. This exposure finds expression in her landscapes in oil, water colors and also mixed media. The iconic influence of the spirituality of her surroundings is seen in many of her paintings in the Tanjore style. She is equally deft in graphics, pen & ink sketches and pencil work.

Kiran's association with well known artists & masters has led her to some of her best etchings, wood cuts, linocuts, lithography & calligraphies. Of late she has produced a series of more than two dozen works titled the 'God’s Finest Creation “reflecting various qualities of women. She strongly believes that God is the greatest artist and his best creation is women. She perceives the inner beauty of women investing each artwork with a meaning and a message.

She organized the “Kala Kumb" through community support in March 2003 that attracted a congregation of 150 artists from all over the country. Her works have been exhibited at different national/international events more recently at Ottawa, California, New York, Cambridge, Syracuse, Toronto, Chicago, London, Iran and Srilanka. More recently she had her exhibit “Celebration of Life” at Jaipur and “The Great Indian Desert” at Hyderabad. “Beyond Strokes” at Roerich International Memorial Centre, Naggar, Kullu and “Desert Symphony” at Cottage Art Gallery, New Delhi were very well received. Her painting” Monsoon Love” has be shortlisted for the Annual Award2010 and her paintings on the “Famine" depicting its impact on women and children in India, won her a National Award in 2003. Another painting the “Matters of Heart" was commended in the All India Fine Arts Exhibition. She was also a visiting artist at the East West Centre, Hawaii. Her artworks auctions in Cambridge in 2007 for raising charity for children’s food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social cause. She also won the Valparaiso Foundation Fellowship, Mojacar, Spain for 2010 and Centrum Residency 2009. She has been recently honored with the “Kala Smridhi Award”2010. The Times of India has brought out a book” Beyond Strokes” and “Art Renderings” based on her selected artworks. She is now the distinguished recipient of the “Achiever of the Year 2009” and also the “Artist of the Year 2009”

“She has creatively used her administrative experiences as expressed through the visual language….. its all powerful, moving and convincing”

“I am deeply impressed with her interest in art besides her very demanding professional life. Her renderings  in watercolors are highly impressive and will enable her to achieve greater heights.”
Pavan K Varma, India’s Ambassador to Bhutan

Extremely good works of art….  Padamshree P Sripathy

Her works rightly depict the rural Rajasthan in its true colors……. Subhash Babu

“It is a show in which the wide range of themes and styles portrays an active & searching mind with a meticulous concern for craft……. evidence of her organizational abilities as much as of her devotion to art.”
Prof. Ashley Halpe, Srilanka

A very creative and bureaucrat and promising artist……… T Vaikuntham

She is quite versatile in her choice of themes & treatment. Many of her renderings are very skillfully done and with passion. Her Rajasthan series show her deep acquaintance with the subjects…Chandan Khan IAS

"........She has been sincerely devoting herself creatively acquiring the technical skills of many traditional & modern art forms.  Her achievements as painter are amazing......"         
Chinmaya Mehta
Ex Chairman, Rajathan Lalit Kala Academy

“The vibrancy and versatility in Kiran’s art easily engages an onlooker. I appreciate her mission to link art with social cause……”
Mary Hart

“Kiran has effectively interwoven her world of art and administration. An underlying sensitivity and an empathetic attitude along with creativity places her in an extraordinary category of an accomplished artist and a successful administrator….”
Matilde de Fabregart

“Her work is truly beyond strokes……. Much more to unravel beyond lines and contours”
Alena Adamakova, Curator Roerich  International Centre, Naggar Kullu

“Her work demonstrates both mastery in technique and sensitivity & empathy of social issues.  Has potential to promote art in big way.” Jatin Das

“We were immediately struck by the artist’s freedom of expression as demonstrated by her many different styles and techniques.  The walls were virtually covered by a synthesis of traditional Indian art and the contemporary style of a truly accomplished portrait painter.  Interspersed between bright, colorful works in the Tanjore and other traditional Indian styles were many almost parched, desert scenes of Rajasthan and powerful portraits of its people.”
Daisy Campbell, Srilanka 

"........She has beautifully portrayed her experiences in the field particularly women's issues.  The sensitivity and spontaneity is reflected in her ink drawings, etchings, linocuts and oil work.   Achieving perfection in every technique without any formal training is certainly a creditable achievement....."          
R.D.Pareek.

".......the grace of the artist is reflected in the traditional art which has roots in Indian culture.  It looks as if all styles of traditional art forms would be recreated in future.............It also reflects her enthusiasm to achieve definite heights in her life......"     
Shamendu Sonavane.

"......Her paintings cover a wide range both in terms of themes & medium.  She does Paintings in Stained Glass, Tanjores, Oils, Graphics and Mixed Media.  She is quite competent in figurative, abstracts, landscapes but her fort is doing popular deities which create deep spiritual feelings in the minds of viewers. Her Art has roots in the Indian soil..."         
 S.S.Hitkari.

         
  I believe that man’s soul is the architect of history and that art is the manifestation of man’s soul & reflection of human identity and art materialized the deepest strata of man’s life. No art can fully express the hidden reality it is depicting and one must search beyond the lines, patterns, notes etc. Art is unbounded and recognizes no constraints. 
           
                               In modern era, art is playing a dominant role in bringing about social change transcending borders and minds. Art as such is the domain of the dialogue between civilizations and cultures; it can speak in loud and penetrating voice. Therefore, the pivot of dialogue is the society’s artists and thinkers. The language of painting and many arts is expressive indeed by which an immediate relationship is established. Artists show us new ways to see familiar things, and how to interpret new situations and events through various kinds of visual shorthand. Art is most often seen as pleasing the eye- creating beauty. Yet the idea of beauty, like that of truth, has been most challenging in the present day era. If something moves you to an understanding somehow unreachable for you by the common paths of words and reason, it's Art for you. Art is a process, a dialog, not a cause-and-effect like many people seem to think. Art is not for the sake of anything…. Rather it is not a means to achieve something but each art work in its own right depicts the image of the soul of artists and society at large.

             To pave the ground for the artist to be able to work freely and spontaneously is need of the hour. The greatest achievement of art is to extend and expand our shared common visual language. I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream. My aim is to share Indian art across the borders and to pick up and recognize the commonalities in human beings transcending barriers of religion, language, culture, food habits but sharing and experiencing the same emotions and aspirations.