OF ICONS AND IDENTITY

Madhubani artist Malvika Raj is using a traditional artform from her state, Bihar, to highlight the message of her icons, Dr Ambedkar and the Buddha

- Neha Kirpal

Madhubani artist from Patna, Malvika Raj is known for her innovative twist to the traditional artform, centered around Hindu and Buddhist narratives. With the recent rise in atrocities against the Dalit community, especially women, Malvika’s art is her own kind of activism, highlighting the philosophies of Dr Ambedkar and the Buddha through brushstrokes.

A graduate in fashion designing from NIFT Mohali, Malvika’s art has been displayed at several prominent exhibitions in reputed galleries such as the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai as well as ICCR and Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. One of her paintings, a Madhubani rendition of her icon Babasaheb Ambedkar, is displayed at the University of Edinburgh.

While Frida Kahlo and Vincent Van Gogh are her primary artistic influences, Impressionism and the Black Arts Movement have always inspired and guided Malvika. “Learning social literature and Dr Ambedkar’s philosophy from my father and travelling to Buddhist shrines and other places with my family truly inspired me back in those days,” she adds.