Kiran Devi was a renowned traditional Madhubani artist from Jitwarpur village in the Madhubani district of Bihar, one of the earliest cultural hubs where the art form flourished. Born into a family of practicing folk artists, she began painting at the age of six, learning the intricacies of line work, motifs, and natural colour preparation from the women in her household. What began as an inherited tradition soon developed into her personal language of storytelling through colour, form, and symbolism.

Over the course of her life, Kiran Devi created thousands of Madhubani paintings, each reflecting the spiritual and cultural richness of Mithila. Her works celebrated themes from Hindu mythology, especially Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, Durga, and Saraswati, as well as familiar village motifs such as elephants, peacocks, fish, and floral patterns that symbolized fertility, prosperity, and harmony.

Her paintings were characterized by finely detailed linework, rhythmic patterns, and the use of natural pigments prepared from leaves, flowers, soot, and clay, representing her deep bond with land and nature. Kiran Devi upheld the Kachni-Bharni styles of Madhubani painting, working on handmade paper, canvas, and traditional mud-smeared walls during festive occasions.

Though she passed away in her early 50s, her legacy continues to live through her artworks that are preserved in private collections, cultural archives, and artisan networks across India and abroad. She remains remembered for the grace, devotion, and patience that she infused into each painting, an embodiment of the timeless spirit of Mithila art.

Kiran Devi

Visual Artist | City/Town, dsfsdf, Ghana

Available Artworks by Kiran Devi