Nilakshi Bezbaruah, an upcoming artist from Nagaon, is gradually making a name for herself through sheer hard work and God-gifted talent. She was drawn to art from childhood onwards and underwent training under the renowned artist, late Pranab Baruah. In 2010, she held her first solo exhibition of paintings, organized by Gati Assam, in Kala Bithika, Guwahati, to commemorate celebrated artist Hemangini Bordoloi, an alumnus of Shantiniketan, who became an icon during her lifetime.
Nilakshi Bezbaruah, an upcoming artist from Nagaon, is gradually making a name for herself through sheer hard work and God-gifted talent. She was drawn to art from childhood onwards and underwent training under the renowned artist, late Pranab Baruah. In 2010, she held her first solo exhibition of paintings, organized by Gati Assam, in Kala Bithika, Guwahati, to commemorate celebrated artist Hemangini Bordoloi, an alumnus of Shantiniketan, who became an icon during her lifetime.
After that, Nilakshi took part in many group exhibitions held in Nagaon, Guwahati, Tezpur, etc. In 2013, she took part in an exhibition organized by Suranandan Bharati in Kolkata. In the same year, she presented a solo art exhibition in Guwahati, which was based on the poems of distinguished poet Hiren Bhattacharjya. A similar exhibition was held in Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on the songs of renowned singer Khagen Mahanta in 2014. Some of these paintings are incorporated in the book Khagen Mahanta: Geet Aru Jivanrekha, written by Anubhav Parasar. She also presented an exhibition based on some of the selected poems of distinguished litterateur and Padmashri awardee Mahim Bora’s ‘Ronga Jia’ at the Nagaon Press Club. She has, so far, participated in seven solo and 35 group exhibitions. Her paintings have been exhibited in various places in the country, including Guwahati, Mumbai, Delhi, Indore, Boruda, Bangaluru, Ahmedabad, Kerala, Hyderabad, Goa, etc.
Her art works are collected by connoisseurs not just in India, but around the world. A Russian national once purchased one of her paintings when she took part in the India Art Festival in Delhi, in 2016. Besides participating in the festival four times, she has also taken part in art workshops. Her paintings have also been exhibited in Israel, Hungary, Jakarta, New York, Dubai, etc., apart from several Indian cities. Some of her paintings are preserved in some art galleries in Delhi and Agartala.
She has explored women’s lives in relation to Nature in some detail in her paintings; another recurring theme in her paintings is the depiction of the natural beauty of Assam. She has also, with her keen sense of observation, painted a series of paintings around cityscapes, Bihu, Sankari cult, etc. Foreigners who attend her exhibitions often express their eagerness to know more about Assam and its cultural and natural diversity.
Nilakshi also has a deep fondness for folk culture and beliefs, which she has expressed in some of her paintings. Many of her paintings have found their way to art journals published from Mumbai and Delhi. They have also found space in national newspapers.
Like in the previous years, Nilakshi’s paintings caught the attention of art connoisseurs and enthusiasts at the India Art Festival held in Mumbai in January, this year. One of her paintings was even installed at an art gallery in Bangladesh.
In 2018, her works were exhibited at the Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi, along with the works of a number of renowned artists. She was also presented with the prestigious Chitranandan Award by the Kolkata-based Surnandan Bharati.
Besides paintings, she has also been engaged in compiling and editing books. She has edited two books, one on Mahim Bora’s short story compilation - Galpar Aror Kahini, and another based on the poems of Ronga Jia. She has also edited the book – Pranab Baruah: Jibon Aru Silpa.
Nilakshi currently runs an art school for children, motivating them to create their own art based on their ideas and feelings. She also provides lessons in handwriting, calligraphy and calculation with the help of the abacus for the artistic and all-round development of children.
She also offers a special course on manuscript painting on Sanchipat, by using traditional colours like Hengul, Haital, etc. She has been imparting training on this ancient art form to eager students. The talented artist is all set to participate in the India Art Festival, to be held from November 14-17, 2019.
