Curatorial Note

Todo Paintal has had an eventful and momentous life, and yet her work exudes a rare warmth and joie de vivre which reflect not only her zest of life but her inner strength and an ability to face life head on. Her recent explorations of Himalayan landscapes produce a utopian vision of an innocent world which is a refuge from the pressures of the city, free from noise, crowds, pollution and in tune with natural processes. She celebrates the experience of solitude and spiritual refreshment afforded by pastoral retreats in idyllic portraits of contented self-sufficiency. These portable mementos representing visual experiences share with us a wonderful energy of her artistic engagement, great fascination and love with the mountains. Being widely travelled, this is a theme she returns to frequently along with her emotional dialogue with her family- an unabashed ode to the pleasures and joys of a fulfilled life. She celebrates the radiant beauty of the natural landscapes and beautifully communicates the spirit of the place with a distillation of the tranquility it embodies in the people closest to her.

Married to an Armored corps officer-a war veteran who has fought all the three wars of 1962, 65’ and 71’ she turned to painting in her younger days at the Triveni Kala Sangam and later apprenticed with Anjolie Ela Menon, as well as enjoying a brief stint at Arpana Caur’s Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. For nearly three and a half decades, she ran her own Montessori kindergarten school. On her retirement from education and at the age of 75, she returned to her artistic passion with a diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi College of Art, under the mentorship of Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi who helped her find her signature creative language.

The artist lives and works in Delhi, India.

Born 1942

At Threshold

C-221, Sarvodya Enclave

New Delhi- 110017