Important Notice

Anjana Mehra’s body of work gives voice to the trials and tribulations faced by those who have been displaced from their homes during times of conflict. The plight of the innocent victims caught in the midst social, political and religious unrest is what Mehra attempts to depict in her large format canvases.

In her earlier work, paper boats symbolized the uncertain lives of the hundreds of immigrants that inspired the artist’s...
Anjana Mehra’s body of work gives voice to the trials and tribulations faced by those who have been displaced from their homes during times of conflict. The plight of the innocent victims caught in the midst social, political and religious unrest is what Mehra attempts to depict in her large format canvases.

In her earlier work, paper boats symbolized the uncertain lives of the hundreds of immigrants that inspired the artist’s narratives of tragedy; she used these as “a metaphor for permanence and impermanence within myself and in the environment.”

In some cases, the artist’s work reflects her personal experiences of displacement and loss. Recalling the religious rioting and violence across India, caused by the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the artist says, “Those days of the riots are firmly etched in my memory. I could not even cross the road and visit my parents as I was warned by policemen that I would be hacked to death by rioters if I tried. We were inundated by phone calls that tried to ensure our safety. The empty streets and the smell of fear is so real for me” (as quoted in The Times of India, 25 March, 2001, accessed December, 2008).

Born in Delhi in 1949, Mehra received her Diploma in Painting from the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, in 1965, and completed a Post Graduate degree in Printmaking from the Faculty of Fine Art at M.S. University, Baroda, in 1972. Since then, the artist has participated in numerous solos including ‘Pipe Dreams’ at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2008; ‘Paper Wars’ at Gallery Beyond, Mumbai, in 2006; ‘Re-visiting Terrains’ at Sumukha Art Gallery, Bangalore and Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai, in 2003; ‘City of Mirages’ at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 1998; and ‘Urban Seasons’ at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, in 1995. In 2008, Mehra participated in two group shows, ‘Skykeepers Diaries’ at Museum Gallery, Mumbai, and ‘Point and Line to Plane VI’ at Gallery Beyond, also in Mumbai. Anjana Mehra lives and works in Mumbai

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