LATIKA KATT True artists are committed to passion for their calling and will perception of unity of life in the bunch of bananas and the not be distracted by compromises deemed inevitable for a homes of termites animated by her imagination. In Latika's cozy and smooth living. universe nothing is too insignificant for her keen eyes and dexterous hands. Latika Katt, from an elite institution like Doon School, known for producing successful bureaucrats and entrepreneurs, The journey continues and should we hope that the best is yet chose a path less trodden, a Woman Who Dared. In defiance to come. of all odds she decided to pursue her dream and what she believed was her true calling. In a less gender sensitive times, one could imagine the handicaps she had to overcome in an Syed Shahid Mahdi all male faculty of Banaras Hindu University and the Ex Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia deprivations she had to contend with later in Baroda where short of money and material she created objects of beauty from the humble material of cow dung, much before it became a folkist fashion. Once she said: equality was all she was fighting for. What she calls equality I would call Justice and her struggle continues. I came to know her as a colleague in the Department of Fine Arts when I was Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia. It was a most difficult time of her life. One evening her husband Balbir Katt went missing and she was desperately searching for him. His disappearance is still a mystery. The manner in which she faced the situation is a saga of courage and fortitude. It could have shattered a lesser person, but she continued with her duties to her students and produced many remarkable works despite the hostile surrounding and the institutional constraints. It is for art critics to comment on her oeuvre and asses her place among her contemporaries. But even a lay person likes me can see she has trodden paths less taken. The Rodin like ruggedness and energy in her colossal Nehru for Jawahar Bhavan, New Delhi and the work in progress Indira Gandhi is a testimony to her command over the medium and her technical prowess. Banaras, which happens to be in the region I belong to, the city of her adoption, is reflected in her work in forms and themes hardly ever attempted by any sculptor. Contemplation "Tree Alive" of death at the Manikarnik Ghat is in contrast to the teeming Bronze Makarshankranti bathers at the Dashashmedh Ghat and 46x16x14" "Makarsankranti Nahan at Dashaswamedh Ghat" Bronze 30x30x18" "Growing Banyan Tree" Bronze 15x15x10" "Fallen Tree" Bronze 14x16x12" "Banana Tree" Bronze 120x48x42" "Ant Dwelling of Mango Leaves" Bronze 24x18x12" "Deforestation" Bronze 16x12x8" "Banana Plantation" Bronze 30x30x8" "Tree Plantation" Bronze & Ceramic 30x30x10" "Inner Vibrations" White Marble 30x24x18" "Deforestation" Indigenous Hot Plate Ceramic 15x13x5" "Ripe Fields" Ceramic 10x8x3" "Ripe Crop" Ceramic 10x10x3" "Roots Growth" Papier Meshe 13x13x5" "Landscape" Papier Meshe & Terracota 30x30x6" "Deforestation" Indigenous Hot Plate Ceramic 15x12x5" "Snow Scape" Ceramic 8x10x4" "Tea Plantation" Papier Meshe, Fibre Glass 36x36x10" "Roots Landscape" Papier Meshe & Drawing 13x13x6" "Deforestation" Brass Container 11x11x8" Latika Katt D/o Mr. B. S. Sharma & Mr. Chandra Sharma Academic Qualifications 1958-65 The Doon School, Dehradun. Passed with School Colors 1966-71 B.F.A., Faculty of Fine Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Gold Medalist 1973-75 M.A. (Fine) Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda, Ist Class 1975-78 National Cultural Scholarship, M.S. University, Baroda 1981-82 British Council Scholarship, Slade School of Art, London University, London 1988-91 Career Award By The University Grants Commission, New Delhi For Experimental Work / Research 1999 Invited For Residency, Canberra University, Australia 2006 ICSSR visiting scholarship for China Teaching Experience 1980-85 Lecturer In Sculpture, Faculty Of Visual Arts Banaras Hindu University, Varansi 1985 Reader In Sculpture, Faculty Of Fine Arts And Art Education, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi 1993 Till date Professor, Sculpture Dept, Faculty Of Fine Arts And Art Education, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi 2000-03 Appointed Head Of The Department Of Fine Arts Jamia Millia Islamia 1995 Sculptures, Drawings At ABC, Varanasi 2008-10 Appointed Head of Sculpture Department Faculty of Fine 1998 Sculpture, Drawing At British Council Gallery, New Delhi Arts Jamia Millia Islamia 1999 Sculpture, Drawing At Canberra University, Australia 1999 Photography Show At Art Heritage, New Delhi Solo Exhibitions 2006 Sculptures and Drawings at Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi 2008 Sculptures, Drawings and Photographs at Lalit Kala 1975 Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay Akademy Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi 1976 British Paint Décor Service, Calcutta 1978 Max Mueller Bhavan, Calcutta & Kala Mela Lawns, New Awards Delhi 1980 Chemould Art Gallery, London 1973 Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy, Ahmedabad 1983 Woodstock Art Gallery, London 1974 All India Fine Arts And Crafts 1984 Cristines Gallery At Bomlitz (West Germany) 75, 76 Society, New Delhi 1984 Two Shows At Tingsryd, Sweden 1974 Academy Of Fine Arts, Calcutta 1984,89,96 Cymroza Art Gallery, Bombay 1975 Honoured As One Of The Five Distinguished Women Of 1986 The Calcutta Art Gallery, Calcutta Baroda 1988 Art Heritage, New Delhi 1975 International Womens Show At Artists Centre, Bombay 1991 Sculptures, Drawings Prints At Chicago, America 1976 A.P. Council Of Artist, Hyderabad 1980 National Award, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi 1987 India Festival Show In Russia & Bulgaria 1988 'Stree' Show At Moscow, Leningrad & Tashkent 1988 Group Show At West Germany (Ahlden) Invitees Group Shows 1988,89 Women's Show At Bulgaria, Poland, Greece, Cuba, Uganda & Mauritius, Algeria 1980 Silver Jubilee Show of Lalit Kala Academy 1990 Group Show Of Indian Sculptors At Zambia & Ghana 1987 All India Women's Show At National Gallery of Modern 1991 International New Art Form Show At Chicago, U.S.A. Art, New Delhi International Print Show At Boston University, U.S.A. 1989, 90 All India Finance & Crafts Societies Annual Shows, New 1992 Encountering The Others, Non European Art At Kassel Delhi University, West Germany 1990 National Award Wining Artists Show At Lalit Kala Academy, 1992 Group Show At Schools' Gallery Amsterdam New Delhi 1993 Osaka Trienalle In Osaka, Japan 1975-90 Various Groups Shows Held In Different Cities In India of 1994 International Trienalle, New Delhi India Graphics, Drawings & Sculptures 1997 Asian Show At Dhaka, Bangla Desh 1989 Centenary Show of Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay 1998 Five Indian Artist Show At Gothenburg And Museum Of 1990 Drawing Show of 'Male Nudes' At Art Heritage, New Delhi Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden 1989-90-91 All India Sculpture Festival At Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New 1999 Volume & Form, Asia Pacific Show, Singapore Delhi 2000 Group Show At Dhaka Bangladesh 1991 Group Show of Sculpture & Painting At Little Theatre Group, New Delhi 2000 Asian Pacific Show At Bahrain 1992 “Heads”, Sakshi Gallery, Bombay 2010 4th International Art Bienalle, Beijing, China 1993 Still Life Show At Sakshi Gallery, Bombay 1995 AIFACS Annual Show, New Delhi Artists Camps 1995 “Tree” Village Gallery, New Delhi 1996 “Harmony”, Reliance Group, Nehru Centre, Bombay 1976 All India Sculptors Camp At Guntur, A.P. 1996 “Impression & Evocations” Women's Show At National 1976 Graphic Camp At Santiniketan Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi 1976 NCERT Seminar At M.S. University, Baroda 1997 All India Show At Art Indus, Santusti, New Delhi 1978 Functional Sculpture Camp At Garhi Studios, New Delhi 1998 100 Years of Indian Art, A Tribute, Chitrakala Parishad, 1986 Bronze Casting Camp At Roopankar Museum, Bharat Bangalore Bhavan, Bhopal 1999 Edge of The Century, British Council, Delhi 1978 Artist Camp At Kasauli 2000 Millennium Show At Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta 1988-89 International Indo Japanese Sculptors' (Stone Carvers) 2004 Margi & The Desi By Renu Modi At Lalit Kala Academy. Camp At I.P.C.L. Baroda (Gujarat) 2004 National Award Winners Exhibition by Lalit Kala Academy 1989 Artist Camp At AIFACS, New Delhi Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi. 1990 International Sculpture Symposium 'Marble & Sound' At Yugoslavia International Art Exhibitions 1991 Invite To International Artist Workshop At Lakeside Studio, Michigan, U.S.A. 1992 Ceramic Camp At The Doon School, Dehradun, By 1980 Paris Biennale, Museum of Modern Art, Paris Shovalik Art Society 1980-86 Fukoaka Museum, Japan 1993 Sculpture And Painting Camp, Mussorie, By Aurobindo 1981 International Drawing Show At Poland Gallery 1982 Triennale-India Held At New Delhi 1994 Sculpture Camp At Kud, By J&K Academy Of Culture 1986 International Biennale At Ankara, Turkey 1995 Marble Carving, Cemb, Hyderbad 1986 International Biennale At Havana, Club And Brazil 1996 Haridwar Camp, Lalit Kala Academy (Did Not Attend) 1986 Asian Show At Seoul, Korea 1998 Ten Artist Camp At Puri 1999 Surajkund Artists Camp, Faridabad, Haryana 1998 Slide Lecturesat Varyakka Island, Finland 2001 Invited As Resource Person For Craft Persons Camp At 1999 Slide Lecture, Aswsan Museum, Aswan, Egypt Bhadrawati, Maharashtra - Organised By I.I.T. Delhi 2002 Contributed An Article For Book “Women Who Dare” By 2002 Stone Carving Camp At Shilp Puram Hyderabad By Lalit National Book Trust. Selected as one of the 21 women to Kala Academy be included in this book. 2002 Invited As Resource Person By I.I.T. Delhi To F.R.I. 2003 Invited For National Seminar At National Museum For Dehradun to interact / guide the Woodcraftmen And Question Answer Sessions And Chairing The Sessions. Carpenters 2003 Slide At J.D.C.A, Bhubneshwar 2003 J.D.C.A At Bhubneshwar (Stone Carving) 2007 Stone Carving Camp at Kala Gram Chandigrah 2008 Stone Carving, Indo Japanese at Vadodara by ABS Organisational Experience 2009 Metal Casting at Indira Gandhi Rashtrya Manav Sangrahalaya Bhopal. M.P 1975-78 Executive Member Of The Sculptors Forum Of India 1979-84 Elected From All India Artist Constituency To Lalit Kala Talks/Symposium/Film/Articles Academy Elected As A Garhi Committee Member.