Mahasundari Devi (15 April 1922 – 4 July 2013) was an Indian artist and Madhubani painter.[1] She was awarded the Tulsi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1995, and in 2011 she received the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.[2]
Biography
As a child, Devi was "barely literate" but began painting and learning the Madhubani art form from her aunt.[3]
She married a school teacher, Krishna Kumar Das when she was 18.[4]
In 1961, Devi left the purdah (veil) system which was prevalent at the time and created her own niche as an artist.[5] She founded a cooperative society called Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti, which supported the growth and development of handicrafts and artists.[5] In addition to Mithila painting, Devi was known for her expertise in clay, paper mache, sujani, and Sikki.[3] According to her family, Devi created her last painting in 2011.[3] Devi died on 4 July 2013 in a private hospital with sources citing her age at 92.[3] She was cremated with full state honours the next day.[6]
Recognition
She received her first felicitation in 1976 from the Bhartiya Nritya Kala for an illustration of the struggles of a Maithil girl.[7] She received the National Award from the president of India, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, in 1982.[5] Devi was considered a “living legend” of the art of painting.[5] She was awarded the Tulsi Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1995, and the Shilp Guru award in 2007.[4] She received the Padma Shri award from the government of India, in 2011, for her contributions to the field of art.[5][8]
Personal life
Devi was a resident of Ranti village located in Madhubani, Bihar.[5] Her daughter-in-law, Bibha Das, is also Madhubani painter, as is her sister-in-law, Karpoori Devi.[9][10] She had two daughters and three sons.[9]
References
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Bihar’s Madhubani artists get poor returns]. Hindustan Times(11 October 2007).
- ↑ Template:Cite press release
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Doyenne of Mithila painting Mahasundari Devi dies. The Times of India(5 July 2013). Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Straight from the art. Deccan Herald(2013-08-04). Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 [{{{url}}} India: Ladies' Fingers and a Flavour of Art]. Hindustan Times(29 May 2007).
- ↑ Madhubani painting guru cremated with state honours. Hindustan Times(2013-07-05). Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ↑ IN PHOTOS: How Madhubani Art Is Undergoing A Transformation - By Women Artists in Bihar!. The Better India(2014-12-01). Retrieved 2019-03-15.
- ↑ List of Padma Awardees for 2011. Mint(26 January 2011). Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Madhubani painting artist Mahasundari Devi dead. Business Standard(4 July 2013). Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ↑ 6 Madhubani Women Artists Who Pushed Out Dominant Narratives, Jain, Somya. Feminism In India(2018-03-18). Retrieved 2021-03-07.
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