Painter Sujata Bajaj moved from Poona to Paris …without knowing French

Painter Sujata Bajaj

Imagine a woman leaving the cocoon of her homeland only to storm the bastions of a foreign land. That’s Sujata Bajaj. Listen to her stories of beginning her journey in the ‘Pink city’ of Jaipur, meandering through Pune and Mumbai before settling in Paris, without knowing a word of French. Now, she’s a world famous artist, whose work is sought by top art connoisseurs. Sujata’s narratives of her life are just as vibrant as the colours she uses on her canvas. From accosting the famous artist Raza and kidnapping him to see her paintings or falling in love with a Norwegian but getting him to woo her parents or why she stopped showing off cooking skills at dinner parties in Oslo.

Sujata speaks about being raised as a Gandhian and her childhood encounters with some of Indian intellectuals in Wardha. It shaped much of who she is today. She is down to earth, unabashedly Indian in her dress and language and raised her daughter to be fluent in Hindi, French and Norwegian.  She had no qualms of laying her infant child down on a dupatta in a corner of her studio while painting. That baby is now a grown young woman and a talented fashion designer. Sujata has received many awards and though she has exhibited all over the globe and even at London’s House of Lords, her simplicity and humility is palpable. In her mind, she is still the girl from small town India. Something seen in her favourite painting stance too.

EkWomen is about creating communities. Sujata embraces this concept and is why she loves the Hindu God, Ganesha, who she considers a mascot for communities. Discover Sujata’s favourite pastime, her likes and dislikes in the rapid-fire round. Sujata was meant to go to medical school but a nudge from her brother, set her on another course, or else the world would have missed out on this versatile artist.

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