Devyani Krishna

Devyani (or Devayani) Krishna (1918–2000) was an Indian painter, print-maker and teacher. She was also involved in research work about Indian toys, folk motifs and batik work. She was regarded as 'India's foremost woman artist' of the day by the art critic Richard Bartholomew for her diverse body of works that she showcased in India and Europe.

Along with her husband Kanwal Krishna, she traveled to the Himalayas and documented the arts and culture of the region through their artworks. Her paintings were deeply influenced by her experiences during this tour.

Early life and education Devyani was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. In the 1930s, the city developed as a center for modernist experiments in the International Style under the patronage of Yashwant Rao Holkar II, the Maharaja of Indore.

These developments in the city had an influence on Devyani from an early age. Her first art lessons came under the guidance of the master artist and teacher D. D. Deolalikar.

Career Devyani married fellow artist Kanwal Krishna in 1942. They retreated to the Himalayas and travelled through Sikkim, the Tibetan border and the North-West Frontier Province from 1949 to 1952.

Works

Public collections The artworks of Devyani are housed in the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Delhi Art Gallery, and the Waswo X. Waswo Collection.

Exhibitions 1941 - First solo show at Calcutta 2005 - Golden Jubilee: Spirit Set Free, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India 2015 - Abby Grey and Indian Modernism: Selections from the NYU Art Collection, Grey Art Gallery, NYU, New York 2020 - The Fifties Show, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India 2021 - A Place in the Sun: Women Artists from 20th Century India, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India