Nirmala Dutt
Malaysia
b. 1941, d. 2016, Penang, Malaysia
Nirmala Dutt (1941–2016) was a pioneering figure in Malaysian contemporary art, whose exploration of aesthetic forms ranging across documentary photography, painting, silkscreen, collage, and public art broke new ground. One of the few prominent women artists to have emerged in the 1970s, her work drew on sustained research into Southeast Asia’s aesthetic philosophies to reflect on contemporary social issues, frequently highlighting the plight of the downtrodden. This concern was evident in her early photographic accounts of environmental destruction and poor living conditions in the slums of Kuala Lumpur, and later in her integrative silkscreen paintings that addressed political violence and injustice, and the impact of natural disasters.
Anak Asia 1983. acrylic&silkscreen on canvas. 60.9x81.2cm
Kampong Polo Ii 1984. acrylic&silkscreen on canvas. 122x206cm
Your Beautiful Home 1975. collage&acrylic on board.76