The Prinseps Exhibition: Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya

Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to win an Academy Award / Oscar. Prior to starting her career as a costume designer, Bhanu was the only woman artist in the progressive artist group. She was also the first woman to win a Gold Medal at the JJ School of Art for her brilliant work. Prinseps, would like to propose an exhaustive exhibition of her artworks, costume designs, and archival material created over her career span of six decades. Prinseps is an avant-garde auction house that celebrates discerning luxury and prides itself on being a research-focused auction house with a par excellence archive and library. The name Princeps is a reference to the Latin word meaning ‘first’ or ‘foremost’, to the princely states and to James Prinsep, the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Best known for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India, James Prinsep’s diligent documentation and illustration of aspects of culture are reflected in Prinseps methodologies and processes.

Join them for a conversation with Kiran Nadar (founder and chairperson KNMA), and Ritu Kumar (textile historian and fashion designer)

Inauguration by H.H. Maharani Radhika Raje Gaekwad of Baroda

28TH JANUARY 2023, 6 PM
CURATED BY BRIJESHWARI KUMARI GOHIL
LTC BIKANER HOUSE, NEW DELHI EXHIBITION CONTINUES TILL 1ST FEBRUARY 2023, 6 PM
More Info at: www.prinseps.com

Bhanu Athaiya pioneered slim-fit pajamas, ‘winter-wear’, and pre-pleated saris in Bollywood. An upcoming exhibition, ‘The Prinseps Exhibition: Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya’, spotlights the art and fashion lineage of Indian cinema’s celebrated costume designer whose six-decade career is the subject of the comprehensive showcase at Bikaner House, Delhi, later this week. The four-day exhibition, ending February 1, also looks at her life as an independent artist, and her powerful spell as a magazine’s fashion illustrator.

Athaiya’s life was a creative path that included many contributions to Indian art and cinema. She was an artist, illustrator, costume designer for film and theatre, art advertisement conceptualist, and India’s first-ever Oscar winner. Bhanu Athaiya (1929-2020), whose work spanned six decades, created a new position known as “the costume designer” while also influencing Indian fashion. The “Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya” Prinseps exhibition looks at more than just her costumes; it also explores her formative years in Kolhapur, her time as a student and artist at the JJ School of Arts in Mumbai, her time as a fashion illustrator at Eve’s Weekly, and, of course, her contributions to Indian theatre and film.

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