Join us at Arthshila Santiniketan for the ongoing exhibition of ‘in collaboration with Bengal Biennale.

About the Exhibition

Maria Graham (1785-1842) was an accomplished Victorian travel writer, historian, illustrator, and amateur scientist. She produced four published journals based on her journeys to India, Italy, Chile, and Brazil, as well as a comprehensive history of Spain. The written and visual documents she produced in response to her interest in other cultures continue to be important foci for scholarly research. Through scholarly, curatorial, and creative collaboration, five accomplished women artists—Kavita Shah, Francesca Genna, Isabel Cauas, Leila Danziger, and Paula Bonet—work with Otterbein University English Professor Patricia Frick and Art Historian Janice Glowski to respond to Graham’s life, writings, and artwork, particularly as these were expressed in their own countries. The breadth and sensitivity of their responses reveal the complex trajectory of Graham’s personal and professional growth, as she lived and learned from her travels.

About the Colloquium

In a critical response to Maria Graham’s art and travel writing, the Lands, Real and Imagined exhibition returns Graham’s gaze through the creative responses of five contemporary artists—Kavita Shah (India), Francesca Genna (Italy), Isabel Cauas (Chile), Leila Danziger (Brazil), and Paula Bonet (Spain). This panel reflects on the exhibition and further explores Graham’s work from two perspectives.  First, Glowski explores the historical arc of Graham’s unpublished travel sketchbook, with an eye toward the exhibition. Second, Shah and Cauas discuss their creative responses to Graham’s India and Chile journals, respectively, and consider how Graham’s writings continue to impact their artmaking..

14th Dec | Exhibition Opening
15th Dec | Colloquium on British and Indian Women Travellers and Travel Writers from the Nineteenth Century to the Present.

Looking forward to seeing you all!