Latika Katt
Indian sculptor (1948–2025)
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Latika Katt (20 February 1948 – 25 January 2025) was an Indian sculptor who specialized in stone carving, metal casting and bronze sculpting.[1] She won the Beijing Art Biennale Award for her bronze work titled "Makar Sankranti at Dashawmeth Ghat, Varanasi.[2][3]
Latika Katt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 February 1948 |
| Died | 25 January 2025 (aged 76) |
| Education | The Doon School Banaras Hindu University Baroda College of Art Slade School of Fine Art |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Awards | Lalit Kala Academy Award Beijing Art Biennale Award |
Life and career
Latika Katt graduated from The Doon School, an all-boys school in Dehradun. She admitted that being in the minority as a girl in an all-boys school gave her confidence and courage in her later years.[4] She started attending the Baroda College of Art to pursue Bachelor of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda where she graduated with First Class honours in 1971.[5] She was awarded a scholarship to research at the Slade School of Art, London University, London in 1981.[6]
She first got great recognition in the 1970s for a body of experimental work made from cow dung as she did not have funds for anything else.[4] Her talent was spotted by the politician and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during an art exhibition, who later encouraged her to take sculpting as a profession.[7] She was a great admirer of Auguste Rodin and used naturalism as her leitmotif.[8] Her interest and association with nature was kindled by her father, a botanist.[4] She taught at Jamia Millia Islamia and Banaras Hindu University for many years starting in 1981 and was the Head of Department of Fine Arts at Jamia Millia Islamia.[5] Claiming to sculpt real people, most of her subjects are her relatives, friends and students.[8]
Katt lived and worked in Delhi and Banaras.[9] She died on 25 January 2025, at the age of 76.[10]
Exhibitions
Some art exhibitions showcasing her works:[6]
- Paris Biennale, Museum of Modern Art, Paris.
- ‘STREE’ Show at Moscow, Leningrad & Tashkent.
- The Self and The World: An Exhibition of Indian Women Artists at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Delhi.[11]
- Chemould Art Gallery and Woodstock Art Gallery, London.
- Molten Landscapes at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai.[12]
- Group Show at Gallerie Alternatives, Gurgaon.
- “Heads”, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai.
Solos: Art Heritage, MMB & Kala Mela Lawns in New Delhi, Calcutta Art Gallery Kolkata, Sculptures, Painting and Prints JAG CYAG[13]
Awards
- Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy, Ahmedabad, 1973.
- All India Fine Arts and Crafts, 1974.
- Society, New Delhi, 1975 and 1976.
- Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta, 1974.
- Honoured as one of the Five Distinguished Women of Baroda, 1975.
- International Women's Show at Artists Centre, Bombay, 1975.
- A.P. Council of Artists, Hyderabad, 1976.
- National Award, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, 1980.
Scholarships
- National Cultural Scholarships MSU, UGC New Delhi.
- International: British Council Scholarship Slade School of Art, London.