Artist and sculptor Kiran Dixit Thacker on catching the essence of a subject without frills
Kiran Dixit Thacker, almost 80, is definitely a keen observer. The only living female student of the legendary artist and sculptor Ramkinkar Baij, Kiran, through her work, displays an analytical understanding of both eastern and western education. Although she’s an Indian by heart and soul, most of her visual and observational skills were acquired in the west. Kiran, who stays in Santiniketan currently says, “My work is mostly figurative; all kinds of shapes and forms inspire me. Santiniketan and its beautiful surroundings have been the starting point for most of my creative activities. I am trying to catch the essence of the subject without too many frills. On the sidelines of her recently concluded exhibition at Birla Academy of Art and Culture, we spoke at length. Excerpts:
Your sculptures, paintings have a lot of tribal people and elements. Is it because you have a lot of time in Santiniketan?
Yes, indeed. I used to go to the nearby tribal village, and ask them, Can I draw you? When they used to sow paddy, or just sit and smoke, all of these have formed an inspiration for my sculptures, especially the little details that I could see. To make it even more relevant, I sometimes have even added elements like that of a gamchha, sourced locally from that area.
What is more difficult to work with: stone, brass or steel?
Stone, definitely. It is a very hard medium. Make one mistake, and that is it. You can add and change a little direction, cut it up, put another bit, glue it up properly, or mix it up, that’s okay. But mistakes cannot be rectified.
For drawings, what is the medium that you usually use?
I love watercolours. I love watercolour, drawings and pastels. I can't use oils, because of the smell of it.
How has your experience been getting trained under the legendary artist Ramkinkar Baij? Was he a very strict teacher?
No, that's the funniest part of it. Everybody used to shiver when Kinkar da raised his voice and we used to laugh, “Don’t scare us”. But he used to get angry and say, “You make five pieces, and you think you have become masterpieces. I have done so many pieces, I still don’t think I have created any masterpiece, or it is my last work. Even when he had really bad health, with a chronic liver disease, he used to practice. Nowadays, the teachers don’t even practice. I used to make clay dough for him, and did that for four years."
What are you working on right now?
I've just completed three tribal people and have added two more trees, one jackfruit and one date palm. I am also going to make a fiberglass pond and make ducks for it, made of bronze. But the first thing I want to do is make 6-7 langur monkeys, and how they would behave when in a troop.
One last question, which is closer to your heart, making sculptures or painting?
If you have 20 children, would you ask which one is your favorite? I cannot choose between the two, but whenever I am working on a piece, that becomes my favourite.
Kiran Dixit has her showcasing at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi in March 2026.