Naina Dalal
Statement
Naina Dalal (b. 1935, Vadodara, Gujarat) is a leading Indian artist whose powerful body of work in painting and printmaking testifies to a profound concern with human feeling, self, and the complex experiences of womanhood. Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, in 1935, Dalal has always stayed close to her roots, both as a person and as an artist. She studied Bachelor of Arts in Painting and Master of Arts in Fine Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda's Faculty of Fine Arts and finished her academic education in 1959. Among the first female printmakers in the country, her studies led her overseas shortly thereafter, where she learned lithography at the London Polytechnic between 1960 and 1963. Subsequently, in 1977, she broadened her knowledge of printmaking by learning etching at the Pratt Graphic Center in New York. These early overseas experiences had a profound impact on her visual vocabulary, introducing her to various techniques and conceptual strategies that she would incorporate into her practice.
Dalal's work is characterised by a subtle yet powerful introspection, usually examining the lives and emotional conditions of women. Her works have female figures, animals, and still-life objects that appear to have stories of their own—silent, contemplative, and imbued with emotional significance. Her insistence on 'interiority' gives her work a spiritual and psychological profundity that imbues it with Karuna—a feeling of compassion and empathy. She has found inspiration in the methods and ideology of European Old Masters, in the expressive power of German Expressionists, and in contemporary painters like Pablo Picasso, Käthe Kollwitz, and Emil Nolde. And yet, her own work remains intensely located within Indian tradition, infusing a multicultural vocabulary of images that crosses times and places.
During her illustrious career, Naina Dalal had numerous solo and group exhibitions all over the world. Some of her significant recent solo exhibitions include The Silent Fire Within: Naina Dalal Retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, presented by Gallerie Splash (2025); Solitary Companions, curated by Girish Shahane, Travancore Palace, New Delhi (2024); a major solo at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (2018); Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (2003); Artfolio Gallery, Singapore (2001); Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai (1999); and her early landmark solo at Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai (1973). Her selected group exhibitions include Nabhasparsh: Women Printmakers of India, NGMA, New Delhi (2024); Telling Time Under the Soil, Gallerie Splash, New Delhi (2024); the Printmaking Triennale, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi (2016); the international exhibition Footprints: Women Printmakers across India, Pakistan, the U.K., the U.S.A., and Hong Kong (2006); the critically acclaimed Wounds, organized by CIMA in Calcutta and New Delhi (1993); and the VI Triennale, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (1986). Her work has been featured in both historical and contemporary contexts and shown at key art institutions worldwide, reinforcing her enduring artistic relevance. Her works are part of major national and international collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Museum of Indian Art, Berlin; National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi; The Hermitage, Leningrad; Singapore Art Museum; and several important corporate and private collections in India and abroad.
Dalal's artistic merit has been recognised with many awards. In 1960, she won the First Prize in Painting at the Bombay State Art Exhibition and was given the Gaurav Puraskar by the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy in 2017. Her paintings are included in a number of prominent public and private collections in India and overseas, which is a testament to her timeless relevance and importance.
Aside from her artistic production, Dalal has also served as a mentor and guide to young artists, sharing her experience and wisdom with generosity. She still resides and works in Vadodara, where she is still a vital voice in the Indian art world. Her work, imbued with empathy and rich emotional depth, continues to engage audiences, testifying to her lifelong dedication to exploring the human condition through visual form.
Bachelors of Fine Arts Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara
Masters from Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara.
London Polytechnique and Pratt Graphic in New York (Lithography and Etching).
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