Amrita Sher-Gil exhibition opened at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris

An exhibition about Indian painter of Hungarian origin Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) opened at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, marking her 100th birth anniversary.

Hungary’s UNESCO ambassador Katalin Bogyay stated at the opening event that 2013 has been declared by the organisation the international year of Sher-Gil in honour of the artist who created a link between European and Asian culture.

Deputy State Secretary for Culture at the Ministry of Human Resources Judit Hammerstein said Sher-Gil belonged to both Hungarian and Indian culture and created a bridge between modern European and traditional Indian painting. Hungarian-Indian cultural links go back many centuries, thanks to people such as Sándor Kőrösi-Csoma, Erzsébet Brunner Sass and Ervin Baktay, she added.

Part of the exhibition presents the life of Sher-Gil who is considered an important woman painter responsible of renewing modern art in India. Another part of the exhibition presents reproductions of her works selected by National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi.