Damayanti Chawla (1920-2004) Indian School, Mid-20th Century Scene In India

Born in Lahore in 1920, Damyanti Sahni was a pupil of the great Indian art master Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal in the same city.

As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and cousin of trade unionist Ramesh Chandra, she became part of a stimulating intellectual and artistic environment from an early age. After graduating in 1938, she joined Sanyal's studio, whose influence would leave a lasting mark on her work.

Graduating in 1942 from the Lahore School of Fine Arts, she developed a figurative style of painting that blended oriental pictorial traditions with modernity.

In 1960, widowed, she moved to London, where she continued her artistic training for four years. She then specialized in mural painting at Hammersmith College of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts. Between 1969 and 1971, she lived in Paris, a period during which she produced her most accomplished works.

She exhibited in a number of Parisian art galleries.

She exhibited at several international institutions, including the Woodstock Gallery, Moscow, Berlin, Stuttgart and Paris.

She also creates frescoes for public buildings. Her works are held in various collections, including the Punjab Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in West Berlin and French cultural institutions.