Kusum Shukla W.I.S.E. (Hons)

Kusum Shukla is a Delhi based self-taught artist who paints with oil and acrylic colours on canvas, wood and experiments with other mediums such as tiles and glass with the help of a self-developed technique using palette knives, which she considers her speciality.
She uses strong vibrant colours to indicate her faith in God and the force, optimism and dynamism of creation in her expressionistic style of art works.
Her paintings are an attempt to project the different stages of mental and spiritual evolution, finally attaining Nirvana and escaping the cycle of incarnations. Kusum’s works also denote ‘life and beyond’.

They have a spiritual and philosophical essence, which is an integral component of human existence. She views her works as poetry written in colours. ‘Art is like meditation to me. It can make me transcend this world to sublime divinity. The dynamism of hope and optimism – the sensation of upward movement in my work is symbolic of that.’

Kusum’s solo exhibitions include Galerie Elysee Miromesnil, Paris-1995; Mustings Hus, Copenhagen-1989; Hotel Ramada Renaissance, Doha – 1990; University of Qatar, Doha -1990; Hotel Doha Sheraton-1991; Republic Gallery of Artists, Minsk -1993; National Museum of Fine Arts, Minsk-1995; Espace Sophonisbe, Tunis-1997; Arpana Fine Arts, New Delhi-1998; Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai-1999; AIFACS Gallery, New Delhi (1999); India Habitat Centre, New Delhi-2000; Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi-2001; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi-2002; India Habitat Centre, New Delhi-2003,Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi-2004 and exhibition titled ‘Past, Present & Future’ held at Azad Bhavan, ICCR in New Delhi in March 2010. Her most recent exhibition titled Garden of Memories was held at the India International Centre’s Art Gallery in October 2015.

Group Exhibitions include exhibitions at Galerie Integrata Stuttgart (1995); Galerie Ever Arts, Paris (1996); Galerie Boyrie, Grimaud in South France (1996-97); Gallery Antahkaran, New Delhi (1999); Aurodhan Art Gallery (Pondicherry), Hyatt Regency at New Delhi (1998); Art Junction, New Delhi (1998-99); Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi (1999, 2001); Art Today, New Delhi; Gallerie Ganesha, New Delhi; Gallery Alternatives, Gurgaon; AIFACS Annual Exhibition, New Delhi (2000); Indian Oil Corporation XIII Annual Exhibition, Mumbai (2001); INTACH Show, British High Commissioner’s Residence, New Delhi (2002); Annual Exhibition at Dhoomimal Gallery (2003); Gallery Art Freedom at Lalit Kala Akademi (2003), Russian Cultural Centre, New Delhi (2003); Women on Women, Mati Ghar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi; Artists for a Cause, EASA, New Delhi, 2006; Celebrating Contemporary Indian Art 70 years, Dhoomimal Gallery (2007); Rainbows in the Sun at Lalit Kala Akademi (2008); Art Fair at Travancore Art Gallery New Delhi (2008) , Summer Show II at Shanta Art Gallery New Delhi (2008) and Samvedna Collection for Ekal Vidyalaya at PBC Art Gallery New Delhi (2011)..

Her Collections are across the world including private collections in US, Canada, France, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Qatar, Tunisia, Trinidad & Tobago and India. Her art has also been acquired by World Trade Centre, Mumbai; Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, Mumbai; Ranbaxy Laboratories, New Delhi; Transport Corporation of India, Gurgaon; IFFCO, New Delhi; GAIL, New Delhi; Lord Krishna Bank, Kochi; Raj Niwas, Port Blair; U.P.S.C, New Delhi; Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.

Kusum has won the Palm Art Award Certificate or Excellence in 2010 and 2013 from Art Domain Gallery in Leipzig, Germany.

In July 2012, Kusum was conferred the honour of ‘International Artist’ for the Visual Arts and New Technologies of the Third Millennium 2012 by Associazione Internazionale Galleria ‘Il Collezionista’ in Rome.

Kusum blogs about her philosophy of life at her website: http://www.kusumshukla.com/blog/

Kusum Shukla joined Fine Art America on November 13th, 2008.