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Mukta Venkatesh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mukta Venkatesh
BornMay 1902
Died2003 (aged 101)
NationalityIndian
Known forPainting

Mukta Venkatesh (1902-2003) was an Indian painter. She is best known for her intricate floral paintings.[1]

Life

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Mukta Venkatesh was born as Muthulakshmi in Madras, Tamil Nadu in 1902. Her parents Meenakshi and A. Madhaviah, were committed to various social causes and her father was a well-known author in Tamil and English. As a child, she was influenced by her father's passion for literature and progressive views.[2] She was the fourth of the eight children, and she was taught by her father for most of her early life, since they lived along the Coromandel Coast where schools were sparse. Her family survived the influenza pandemic of 1917.[2] Later, she married M. Venkatesh who worked for the Mysore Railways, and had two daughters.

Career

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Mukta Venkatesh's art-work contains unique and elaborate floral patterns. While she initially painted outdoor landscapes, Venkatesh later shifted her focus to flowers, since travelling outdoors got harder with age[3] She is also well-known for her skill with embroidery and needle-work. Venkatesh regularly painted even late into her life, and has described painting as a deeply meditative practice: "When I paint I am very happy. I am lost in the effort of how to produce on paper my impression of what I see. So the household problems are kept at bay."[3]

References

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  1. ^ "The Hindu : Mukta Venkatesh passes away". Hinduonnet.com. 20 October 2003. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b "Perunkulam Picaresque: A. Madhaviah - A Family Portrait". Star of Mysore. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Undeterred by age". The Hindu. 1 July 2001. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
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