18 Facts About Shanu Lahiri

Shanu Lahiri was a painter and art educator from Kolkata.

Shanu Lahiri was one of Kolkata's most prominent public artists, often called "the city's First Lady of Public Art", undertaking extensive graffiti art drives across Kolkata to beautify the city and hide aggressive political sloganeering.

Shanu Lahiri's paintings are housed in the Salar Jung Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art.

Shanu Lahiri was born on 23 January 1928 in Calcutta into one of Calcutta's most prominent artistic families-the Mazumdar family of seven siblings.

Shanu Lahiri graduated in 1951 and was the first student of the college to receive the AIFACS President's gold medal for her outstanding contributions in art while being an undergraduate.

Shanu Lahiri studied at the Ecole du Louvre where she learnt art history and art-appreciation and at the Academie Julian she learnt painting.

Shanu Lahiri entered her artistic career in the heady years of India's Independence.

Shanu Lahiri was recognised for her highly individualistic style and became a leading artist on Kolkata's contemporary art scene, along with fellow painter Karuna Shaha.

Shanu Lahiri often said that when she read a poem by Tagore she saw images, but on viewing his paintings she never felt a lyrical feeling.

Shanu Lahiri had written a series of short stories and anecdotes revolving around the many animals that surrounded herself and her family which was compiled as 'Edo Goli Theke Beni Madhav'.

Shanu Lahiri was a published poet under the pseudonym Hasna Banu.

Shanu Lahiri was involved in public art and graffiti art projects throughout Kolkata.

In 1984 Shanu Lahiri gathered students of La Martiniere Calcutta to paint over their school wall with colourful art and murals.

Shanu Lahiri had her own food stall at the local Durga Puja annual fete, selling kebabs.

Shanu Lahiri had lent her hand with jatra, stage and theatre design with companies like- Pangea World Theatre, Notto Company, Manjusri Chaki Dance Company, Music of the Drums amongst others.

Shanu Lahiri was active in public art projects into her eighties.

Shanu Lahiri donated her eyes, and was cremated at Keoratola crematorium.

Alongside her continued penchant for large canvases-for the challenge of magnitude and scale-Shanu Lahiri did not betray any signs of halting or rounding up.