Anjana Datta is a Kolkata-based contemporary artist whose practice spans over three decades, rooted in a deep connection with landscape and memory. A graduate of the Government College of Art & Craft and a postgraduate from Rabindra Bharati University, her academic background in Indian painting continues to inform the conceptual and visual depth of her work.

Her paintings reflect a sensitive awareness of nature’s disappearing beauty, interpreted through a personal visual language that draws from both classical and contemporary influences. Her choice of aerial viewpoints offers a macro lens on terrain and ecology, encouraging the viewer to contemplate both the spiritual and environmental significance of land and place.

Over the years, she has been an active participant in India’s art circuit with numerous solo and group shows in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi, including prestigious venues such as Jehangir Art Gallery, Lalit Kala Akademi, and the India Art Fair. Her work is held in private collections across India and abroad, and in public collections such as Sawant Filtech and Bank of India in Mumbai.

Artist Statement:

The natural world is fast disappearing; in my paintings, I try to bring it back. My art tries to capture the nostalgia for all things lost and the hope for a recovering Earth at the same time. I use the bird's-eye view in my landscape paintings to show the macrocosmic beauty of this world, which we do not see every day.

I see my art as a retelling of reality rather than a mere representation. The inspiration for the aerial view in my later works initially emerged from my background in Indian painting, in which I specialised in college. For example, in Mughal paintings, you can see an event, whether it is a war or a celebration, is portrayed from a higher point of view - it gives it a sense of import. Part of the inspiration for these paintings also came from my travels to the Himalayas. When I looked at the valleys from the edges of cliffs, I could imagine the life that was bursting out of the lush green meadows or the hardness of the rough terrain across desert mountains. I saw shapes amid those ever-stretching lands as you see among clouds. Slowly, I developed my paintings from those inspirations, and I continue to explore newer forms.

Educational Qualifications:

Bachelor of Visual Arts, Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, 1990
Master of Visual Arts, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, 1994

Collections:

Paintings in private collections in Kolkata, Mumbai, New York, and London.
Paintings in public collections at Sawant Filtech and Bank of India in Mumbai.

Anjana Datta

Visual Artist | Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Available Artworks by Anjana Datta