Anjolie Ela Menon

Anjolie Ela Menon, one of India's most renowned and leading contemporary artists, has cemented herself as a trailblazer in figurative painting, defying prevailing trends of her time. 

Biography of Anjolie Ela Menon

Anjolie Ela Menon was born in 1940 in Burnpur, West Bengal. She demonstrated her artistic talent from a young age, selling several paintings by the time she left Lawrence School, Lovedale, at the age of fifteen. Menon pursued her studies at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai. Later, she obtained a degree in English literature from Delhi University. During this time, she was greatly influenced by renowned artists such as Modigliani, as well as Indian painters like Amrita Shergil and M.F. Husain. At the age of eighteen, Menon gained recognition by showcasing her works in highly acclaimed solo exhibitions held in Delhi and Mumbai.

Menon's talent and dedication led her to receive a scholarship from the French government to study fresco at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She extensively traveled across Europe and West Asia, studying Romanesque and Byzantine art.

Over the years, Menon's career trajectory continued to rise. She held numerous solo exhibitions, including notable ones at Bhulabhai Desai Institute in Mumbai, Blackheath Gallery in the UK, Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata, Winston Gallery in Washington, Air Gallery in London, Museum Gallery in Hong Kong, Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi, Aicon Gallery in New York, and Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, among many others. She has also had two retrospectives: one at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai (1998) and another at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai (2000).

Menon's works regularly appear in global auctions, including Sotheby's and Christie's, and have been acquired by numerous museums in India and abroad, such as the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi, Fukuoka Museum in Japan and others. She has represented India at the Algiers Biennale, Sao Paulo Biennale, and three triennials in India. Menon has participated in several group shows in India and abroad.

Apart from her artistic endeavors, Anjolie Ela Menon is also known as a social activist and supporter of the education of underprivileged children. Her life and work have been documented in the book "Anjolie Ela Menon: Paintings in Private Collections," and she has been featured in films produced by Doordarshan and CNN. 

Anjolie Ela Menon's Art Style

Throughout her artistic journey, Menon has honed a style that bears her own enigmatic story. Her artwork embodies universal themes while retaining a distinct Indian essence, exploring urban life, family dynamics, and spirituality.

In her early works, she skillfully applied muted, translucent colors, layering thin glazes of oil paint onto hardboard before burnishing them with a soft dry brush. As her style developed further, Menon incorporated distinct compositional features from early Christian art, including frontal perspective, the averted head, and slight elongation of the human body. Additionally, she frequently depicted female nudes.

With time, her brushstrokes have become bolder, her lines sharper, and her color palette more vibrant. Menon's portfolio features not only characters inspired by her loved ones but also symbolic representations, such as black crows, empty chairs, and concealed figures, evoking a sense of distance and loss.