Jayasri Burman is an Indian artist known for transforming ordinary people into mythological figures through her paintings. Born in Kolkata, she was influenced by folklore and spirituality from a young age. Her artwork often features female characters as goddesses and includes hybrid creatures. While her early works were impressionistic, over time her style evolved to become more intricate and bold. She finds inspiration from traveling and believes in spreading messages of love, peace, and harmony through reconnecting people to nature in her artwork. Despite facing personal tragedies, Jayasri is an accomplished artist who continues learning and creating vibrant pieces through painting and sculpture.

1. JAYASRIBURMAN –the womanbehind mythical canvas
It isnot everyday that yousee a simple canvasreflectingordinary beings,transformintocontours of sheergrandeur
and divinity under the tip of a brush. Artist JayasriBurman’sbrush stroke over the years has metamorphosed into
worksthat projectordinary menand womenwithheroiccharactersraisedtothe level of Gods and Goddesses often
surroundedbyhybridcreatures. Simple characterslike amothernurturingachildor a girl trying to find her identity,
are oftenbestowedwithwingstoflyorfinstoswiminJayasri’swork, redefining their freedom, desire and strength.
Perhaps, she sees in ordinary people an extraordinary ability to evolve and flourish.
Born in the city of Joy, Kolkata, her early life was soaked in festivities, colours, folklores and spirituality.It is no
surprise that her artworkcelebrates the feminism and womanhood likened to the female mythical characters of
Indian legends often worshipped in the form of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Every so often, shepicks a
central character, usually a woman and weaves astory around her with crossed creatures flying, floating or just
standingaround,transcendingthe possibilities in Life science. Her art speaks the language of her imagination with
subtle surprises, sometimes by the presence of a swan, mermaid, pigeon, parrotetc. Her desire to be free and
nomadic as these birds or animals makes her canvasand sculpture invariably fabled and enchanting.As a child she
was alwaysinclinedtowardswritingand poetry, but she also knew that she was destined to be an artist as she was
ofteninspiredbyherfamousuncle andartistSakti Burman,a contemporaryIndianartistlivinginFrance. The enigma
in her work is a powerful souvenir of her métierand personage.
But herart wasnot alwaysthismysticas today,one can finda distinct transformationinherwork of art fromlate
20th
toearly 21st
century.Havingcompletedhereducation fromKalaBhavan,Shantiniketan andVisual College of Art,
Kolkata,she wenttolearnprintmakinginParisunderthe guidance of MonsieurCeizerzi. Initially, she started
paintinginimpressioniststyle withpenandink,butlatershe usedvariousmediaandtechniques includingetching,
printmakingandsculpting. Manyof herearlyworks capturedthe many parts of Indiaand itspeople,whichwere
reminiscentof hernew-foundavocationfortravel backin1990s. Beinga buddingartist,she wastryingto create her
identitythroughherinnocent,yetdelightful paintings,whichearnedheralot of appreciation.Herearliercanvasses
echoedhersimplicityasan artist,butas her art transformed underherbrush,sodidher personaasan individual. As
herabilitytocreate flawlesspaintingsevolved,hercanvasesbecamemore intricate andbold,eachimage
reverberatingfeminismandstrengththroughlargerthanlife characters.

2. According to the artist, herlove for travel gives her inspiration to paint and her prayers give her strength to keep
doing her work with honesty. However, like a child seeking refuge in her mother’s anchal, she found solace in
paintingwhatshe believedinandnotwhatthe worlddemanded. she alwayscomesback tothe epics and fables she
has grownup with. Herart mirrorsherinnerself,nostalgia,touchedantiquities,perceptionsandaspirations. Despite
facingseveral personal tragedies,she believesinsmiling and spreading the smile.Her motto is to disseminate love,
peace and harmonythroughher paintingsandbringpeople closertonature.Accordingtoher,we are so accustomed
to living in this ‘concrete jungle’ that we have forgotten the real beauty of nature and therefore the many natural
elements in her canvases remind us of our roots.
She isconferred with many awards including the National Award by Govt. of India in 1985 for her graphics. In 1987
herworks were featured in International Triennale in Germany, during the same year she received a certificate of
meritfromAll IndiaYouthArt Exhibition.She hasexhibitedherworkextensively,soloandjointacross the length and
breadthof Indiaand the globe.Despite beinganartistwithimmense accomplishments,she neverstopsherdesire to
learn and create ebullient images with her unique brushstrokes or lifelike sculptures with her tools. Being an
indefatigable creator of bold and beautiful fairy-tale art and being a female protagonist in the male dominant
profession, Jayasri sets an example and continues to inspire a generation of artists to come.