This is first retrospective exhibition devoted to the Indian artist Y. G. Srimati (1926–2007). Raised in the heated climate of the independence movement—she performed devotional songs for Mahatma Gandhi—Srimati explored themes from Indian religious epic literature and visions of rural culture, asserting traditional subject matter as part of a conscious expression of nationalist sentiments. This exhibition, drawn from The Met collection and private collections, features 25 watercolor paintings, augmented by musical instruments, archival photographs, and performance recordings.
The exhibition is made possible by The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation Fund.
Y. G. Srimati (Indian, 1926–2007). Shiva Gangadhara, "Bearer of the Ganga" (artist's title Shiva Nataraja), dated 1945. India. Watercolor on paper, Image: 20 x 12 1/2 in. (50.8 x 31.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2009 (2009.101). © 2009 M. Pellettieri