Works
Overview
Nilima Sheikh

"The finely done embroidery in these artworks defines each motif, bringing them to life with every unique stitch telling a story of its own!"

OVERVIEW

(b 1945 NEW DELHI)

Nilimia Sheikh is a distinguished contemporary Indian artist renowned for her fusion of miniature painting techniques with large-scale installations. Her work over several years resonates with a strong connection to the landscapes, cultural traditions of South Asia including Kashmir; elements from their folklore, poetry, and historical narratives. Therefore her works act as visual meditations of the delicate balance between nature and human existence, inviting contemplation on the vulnerability of the environment in the face of socio-political challenges.
Video
Biography
Nilima Sheikh
Declaring, “I think beauty can be a vehicle for the most violent of sentiments or attitudes, it should be allowed to contain other things,” Nilima Sheikh produces beautiful paintings about contemporary Indian life, in all of its wonder and grimness. Part a generation of artists who have embraced Indian artistic traditions, she turned from Western-style oil painting to miniature painting, taking inspiration from the Rajput and Mughal court painters. Sheikh works in series and uses traditional materials, including tempera and wasli paper. Narrative is at the heart of all of her work, from her miniature paintings to her murals and large-scale canvases. In her “When Champa Grew Up” series (1984), for example, she illustrated the distressingly common story of a young bride killed by her in-laws, a tragedy that unfolded in her own neighborhood, among people she knew.