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Propagating the Madhubani Style of Painting, an ancient folk art of eastern India
Sunanda Sahay grew up in Darbhanga, the heart of the Madhubani region in northern India. The region, part of Mithila, lies near the border of India and Nepal and carries a rich pastel of cultural legacy in art and literature. Artistic interests led Sunanda to seek out practitioners of the art from local villages and learn directly from them.
Despite royal patronage, Madhubani paintings have retained their simplistic folk origins. It is a living art and visitors can see lovely murals on the clay walls of Madhubani village homes even today. Sunanda's works have stayed true to the traditional themes of mythology and social customs, and her style has not deviated from the dense, arching, and brightly colored strokes characteristic of the art. Madhubani paintings have customarily been practiced exclusively by women.
After earning a Masters in English literature, Sunanda now lives in Acton with her two sons and husband. She retains her lifelong association with Mithila where her parents are practicing physicians. She likes to regularly go back to Madhubani and spend weeks with the local artists, refining her techniques and rediscovering the endless assortment of themes.
Although Sunanda has been painting for over a decade, she started exhibiting them publicly only this year at the encouragement of her close friends. So far, she has held public exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum (March 2007), the Acton Memorial Library (September and October, 2007), and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (October, 2007). Her paintings received widespread attention and acclaim. During the exhibitions, she also demonstrated the painting style to the visitors on selected days.
