DiscoverBangalore is pleased to introduce Dr. Veena Shekar, a renowned Art Historian and a Writer to the visitors of our site and to the world as we recognize her good work.

Dr. Veena Shekar, an amiable and cheerful personality is an art historian and presently the coordinator of the Visual Arts Department of Bangalore University that was started two years ago.

A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for Art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990 to join her husband Dr. Indushekar, an Interventional Radiologist. Her two years stay in the art-loving country helped her become what she is today. Paris changed everything for Veena Shekar who did not have any inclination of what art really meant until then. Spending hours at the Georges Pompidou library studying art history and looking at great masters at the museums did change Shekar’s course of life. She also took up some small course in sketching and visual communication until she met someone who directed her thoughts deeply towards art history. She came back to India and took up a second post graduation in art history merely for the love of the subject.

In all Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and Art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis “A study of historical paintings of Karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication. She traveled to Iran particularly to connect the paintings of Srirangapatna with those of the paintings in the palaces of Isphahan. In the year 1999 the Keladi museum published her book on the murals paintings of Sibi.

When asked about how she planned these things she said “I never had any ambition or vision as to what I must become in life. How these changed is something I have failed to understand. Perhaps, the people who have inspired me or the chance happenings in my life that forces me to believe differently today.” We wondered how it was different today to which she modestly replied “ Oh, I have so much to do, I have picked up the threads now and to go to the end of it may not be possible in this life. But the urge to do something is always lingering.

Art is something beautiful. Shekar wants everybody to hang a beautiful picture in their homes instead of frame a calendar page. For this to happen one must know what good art is all about and should stop seeking art that costs less.

As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She loves taking art appreciation classes to the students and wants to do the same for the common people as well. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention. She also writes catalogues for artists and has curated a few art shows in Bangalore. She has more than 50 articles on art, besides several articles on general subjects, published in newspapers and magazines to her credit. She is also the founder trustee of Sameeksha, an Art, Research and Media organization that does workshops for children and adults.

She is someone who likes frequent changes and hates to stagnate in a particular field. She takes things as they come by and often wonders how to contribute in whatever small way possible. Her honesty and straight forwardness is what strikes people who meet her for the first time.

Shekar’s concern for art and artists made her start a website in the year 1999 during her four year stay in Muscat. www.chitralakshana.com concentrates on Indian art from the pre-historic to the present times and also markets the works of several artists of repute.

In a time when most women enjoy time with friends or watching the TV soaps, Veena Shekar’s zeal to do something for the art community and to bring an awareness to the people at large about the beauty of art is truly appreciable.

Married to Dr. Indushekar, a renowned doctor in Bangalore, Shekar enjoys travelling and has traveled extensively. Her second site www.world-explore.com is a collection of travel pictures from around the world.

Please E-mail your comments/feedback about the above write-up.