Anjolie Ela Menon

Born in West Bengal in 1940, mixed Bengali and American parentage, Anjolie Ela Menon was a student of Lawrence School, Lovedale and by the time she left school at the age of fifteen, she had already sold several paintings. She was influenced by the works of artists like Modigliani and Indian painters like Amrita Shergil and M.F. Husain. At the age of eighteen, Menon showcased her works in much acclaimed solo exhibitions in Delhi and Mumbai.

The French government offered her a scholarship to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris where she studied fresco. Menon utilized this time to travel extensively in Europe and West Asia, studying Romanesque and Byzantine art before returning home. Her works are a part of significant museums, private and corporate collections across the globe. Though Menon normally prefers to work with oil on masonite, she has also experimented with other media such as glass, acrylic, computers, ceramics and painted junk.

Menon is also a social activist who supports the education of disadvantaged children. Based on her life and work, a book Anjolie Ela Menon: Paintings in Private Collections, has been published and several films have been made on her by Doordarshan and CNN.

Anjolie Ela Menon lives and works in New Delhi, India.

Academics

Anjolie Ela Menon pursued her studies at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai and then went on to obtain a degree in English literature from Delhi University.  

Awards

Padma Shri, Government of India in 2000

Limca Book of Records

National Kalidas Samman for Visual Arts, Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2018

Lifetime Achievement Award, Government of Delhi in 2013