Lado Bai

Lado Bai was born in the 1950s in Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh, in central India. Like Jangarh Singh Shyam, she was discovered by Jagdish Swaminathan during his travels searching for artists in the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. Her paintings celebrate the flora and fauna in a melee of brightly colored motifs, each a manifestation of primal energy. The human beings in her works appear entranced as they participate in a cosmic dance. The figures on the canvas are like the characters in an opera or reciting an ode to nature.

She has been part of several group exhibitions such as ‘Creative Customs: International Folk Art,’ Peninsula School of Art, USA (2016); ‘water+wisdom Australia-India,’ Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia; and solo shows such as ‘Merging Narratives,’ Ojas Art Gallery, Delhi (2022). Her works are part of several prestigious art collections, such as the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, Saffronart in Mumbai, the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi, and the Sutra Gallery in Wisconsin, USA. In 2017 she received the Master Ojas Art Award at the Jaipur Literature Festival, solidifying her position as a leading figure in the Bhil art movement. The Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, Saffronart in Mumbai, the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi, and the Sutra Gallery in Wisconsin, USA. She is currently based in Bhopal.