Described as an intrepid traveller, thinker, seeker and an accomplished artist, Sujata Dere is also one who believes in the value of art as a therapy.
She completed her formal art education from the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1979, where she was awarded a scholarship for merit in her second year. She also won an award in the Maharashtra State Art Exhibition, India. Sujata has experimented with various mediums from ceramics and clay to charcoal, pastels, ink acrylics and now mixed media.
Constantly enriching the repertoire of her artistic palette, her search for a deeper meaning in life has propelled her to delve into the mysteries of the mind, nature and the universe. Metamorphosing in a deeply meditative series of serene Lotus Ponds and the graceful form of the Horse as poetic beings embodying all that is instinctual and intuitive.
Her interest in various methods of healing and a need to reach out and touch people’s lives in a positive manner motivates her to work in the field of mental health, using Art as a tool for wellness and self-discovery.
Sujata’s works showcased in many significant exhibitions, have won both critical and popular acclaim. An intrinsic part of private collections all over India, the Middle East, Europe and the US, her first solo exhibition was held at the India International Centre in New Delhi in December 1992. This was followed by several other solo and group shows of repute both in India and abroad.
Widely travelled in India, Europe and the US, she spent 2004-05 as a member of the Art League School, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Continuing to travel and interact with a wide range of artists from different parts of the world, she is currently living and working from her studio in Delhi – Gurgaon, India.
Solo Exhibitions: India International Centre, New Delhi in December 1992, Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Bombay in November 1994, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi in April 1996, Jehangir Art GallNehru Centre, Mayfair, London, UK. in September 1999, Srishti Art Gallery, Rajputana Palace Sheraton, Jaipur in September 2000 (World Cup Polo Series), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi in March 2001, Nitanjali Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2003, Private Viewings of Fine Art, Bethesda, Maryland, USA in Apr-May 2005, “Black on White” Galerie Romain Rolland (Alliance Francaise de Delhi), New Delhi in September 2007, “Spirit of the Horse”, Galerie Romain Rolland (Alliance Francaise de Delhi), New Delhi in March 2013 and “The Nature of Things”, Galerie Romain Rolland (Alliance Francaise de Delhi), New Delhi in March 2018.
Group Exhibitions: India: Art From the Heart in 1995, , ew Delhi, Delhi for Delhi, 1997, New Delhi, LTG Art Gallery, 1999, New Delhi, Art Today, 1998 and 1999, New Delhi, Art Junction, 2000, New Delhi, Art Forum, 2000, New Delhi.jali Art Gallery, 2002 and 2003, New Delhi, Asian Artists Meet, 2002, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Art for Wildlife Workshop with David Shepherd, organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 2003, New Delhi, Indian Art Unbound, Charles Street, 2004, London, UK, Artomatic, 2004, Washington DC, USA, The Art League Show, 2005, Alexandria, VA, USA, Indian Art Unbound II, 2005, Dubai, Indian Art Unbound Revisited, 2005 and New Delhi Art Show, 2005, Metropolitan, New Delhi.
Euphonic Palettes: Contemporary Art from India and Pakistan, Mumbai (Maratha Sheraton) and New Delhi (Alliance Francaise), in 2006, Uninterrupted Journeys (ITC Grand Central Sheraton), 2007, Mumbai, Rhythms of Illumination, 2007, Grand Hyatt, Dubai, Charity Exhibition for Savera at Intercontinental, 2007, New Delhi, Rhythms of Illumination, at Episode, 2007, Chandigarh and ‘Khushi’ Auction, New Delhi in 2009.
Views from the Saddle, Equine Art Shows at the Saddle Room Gallery, Bangalore in 2009 & 2010 and at the Jaipur Polo Ground, New Delhi in Feb 2011, Nai Umeed Art Festival, The Lalit, New Delhi, August 2011, Khushii India on Canvas – Auction, New Delhi, Jan 2012, Concern India – Exhibition, Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Feb 2012, Sacred Art Festival, Senlis, France, April 2019, World Art Dubai, UAE, March 2019 and Online Exhibition with Galaxy Arts, France, July 2020
Sujata Dere can be contacted at [email protected]
WordSword Features
The writer is editor WordSword Features. He is also a strategic analyst and former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army, and can be contacted at wordsword02@gmail.
