There are times when the pages of history are turned again and gems that have been hiding in plain sight are discovered. Sculptor Leela Mukherjee is one such gem. The artist, who practiced from the 1940s to the end of the century, forges an individual expression that merges together the classical, modern, and folk, besides Indic, Western and African streams. Her ongoing exhibition—Leela Mukherjee: A Guileless Modernist—at the Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi has on show a collection of sculptures along with drawings, etchings and lithographs, curated by art historian R Siva Kumar. It is the most comprehensive presentation of her work to date.
A science graduate, Mukherjee in 1937 decided to study art at Santiniketan, where she came across renowned sculptor Ramkinkar Baij. While many believe that she was inspired by the master, Kumar thinks otherwise: “Although both were sculptors, Baij was primarily a modeller and Mukherjee a carver. So, it is unclear if she learned the craft of carving from him. But Mukherjee shared his spirit of independence and self-belief and remained a life-long admirer.”
