Sita Devi (painter)
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Sita Devi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1914 near Saharsa, Bihar, British Raj (present-day India) |
| Died | 2005 (aged 90–91) |
| Occupation(s) | Painter, activist |
| Movement | Madhubani art |
| Awards | Padma Shri (1981) |
Sita Devi (1914–2005) was an Indian artist, specializing in painting in the Madhubani tradition. She is one of the most well-known Madhubani artists from India, and was one of the first to receive national recognition for the art form, receiving a number of awards for her work including the Padma Shri (one of India's highest civilian honors) in 1981, as well as the Bihar Ratna Samman in 1984. She was influential in activism for local development in her village of Jitwarpur, in the state of Bihar, and taught Madhubani art to local residents, especially women, during her career in an effort to encourage financial stability. Her paintings have been praised for their individual style, particularly their use of color, have been widely exhibited, and are archived in India as well as in museums in France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Sita Devi was born in a village near Saharsa in the state of Bihar in 1914, and moved to the village of Jitwarpur after her marriage.[1] She belonged to a Mahapatra Brahmin caste family.[1] She was illiterate, but learned to paint as child by using leftover paint from local potters, and painting on the walls of her home in the local traditional Madhubani style.[1] She died in 2005 in Madhubani.[2]