Compared to its expression in architecture and design, Indo Deco in the medium of painting is relatively overlooked. One of India's most significant corpuses of Art Deco paintings are the works of Stefan Norblin. A Polish artist who painted Indian epics in the Deco style, Norblin left his unique imprint on several palaces in India during his brief stay here in the 1940s. This talk by Kamayani Sharma will discuss- How does Norblin’s oeuvre sit alongside interpretations of similar subjects by South Asian contemporaries? And how might we view these premodern Indian narratives rendered in Norblin’s sleek Deco geometries?
This event is collaboratively hosted with Art Deco Mumbai Trust.
About Kamayani Sharma
Kamayani Sharma is a writer, podcaster and translator focussing on visual art, culture and media. Formerly a text editor with Art India and researcher with Sarai-CSDS, she develops and manages the audio programme for Sharjah Art Foundation and runs ARTalaap, South Asia’s first independent visual culture podcast. Sharma contributes critical and creative writing to publications worldwide, including a monthly series for Scroll.in. She was a finalist at the International Awards for Art Criticism 2020 and won the RedInk Award 2023 for print journalism in the Arts. In 2024, she curated Mumkin Zameen/ Possible Lands at Niv Art Centre, New Delhi.