I celebrate women’s strength through my art: Aparna Banerjee

In the sunlit corners of Gurugram’s The Art Lounge Nirvana, visitors pause, drawn to the rhythm of colour and texture. For contemporary artist Aparna Banerjee, each canvas, sculpture, and photograph is more than art—it is a conversation with memory, nature, and the spirit of women. “Art is my meditation,” she says. “Through it, I explore architecture, landscapes, and the quiet strength of women.”

A diverse artistic journey

A UNESCO-certified artist, museologist, and conservationist, Aparna has spent 25 years weaving together twelve art forms—from painting and sculpture to photography and writing. Her practice includes therapeutic workshops that centre mind, body, and soul, and her works feature in private and institutional collections across India, Europe, and the United States.

Fluent in English, Hindi, and Bangla, with basic French and German, she actively engages in cross-cultural collaborations and residencies.

Her training is equally varied: an honours degree in English Literature from Jesus & Mary College, diplomas in Fashion Design from IIFT and NIFT, and courses in Temple Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Museology, and Ancient Indian Architecture. “These experiences allow me to integrate diverse cultural elements into my work,” she explains.

The Sacred Wild: exploring myth and resilience

Returning to the feminine—“not just as form, but as force”—Aparna’s forthcoming solo exhibition, The Sacred Wild (October 10–14, 2025, Bikaner House, New Delhi), crystallises this vision.

“This body of work emerged as I journeyed across the Silk Route and southern India,” she says. “It was the landscapes, yes, but also the women I met—their stillness, resilience, and quiet strength—that stayed with me. Symbols such as the watchful deer, rooted lotuses, pomegranates, and the mystical Ganda Berundah became part of this visual language.”

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Her acrylic and watercolour canvases create worlds where architecture, nature, and mythology intertwine. “Temple gates, carved pillars, frescoes—they are not just backdrops, they are bodies,” she explains. “Birds and animals, especially the peahen, bring dignity and presence. Womanhood, like architecture, is enduring and quietly powerful.”

Global recognition, local grounding

Aparna’s work has been exhibited worldwide—from the Asian American Cultural Center in the United States to the National Gallery of Modern Art in Moscow, and in China, Greece, Vietnam, and Kenya. Recognised by UNESCO, the Arts Society of London, and India’s Lalit Kala Academy, she measures success not in awards, but in connection.

“When someone sees a canvas and feels the strength, the story, or the silence I am trying to convey, that is my greatest reward,” she says.

Through The Art Lounge Nirvana, she extends her vision into workshops and heritage programmes, fostering dialogue and reflection. “I want my art to be a space where people reconnect with themselves, with heritage, and with nature,” she says.

“These works are meditations on strength, continuity, and life itself,” she adds. “I hope anyone who sees them carries a little of that strength, and a sense of wonder at the beauty and endurance of life.”