Raja Ravi Varma’s studio inspires artists in Vadodara
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Contemporary artists from across India have been using the studio of Raja Ravi Varma, a pioneer of oil painting, in Vadodara, Gujarat, as a residency space for creative work.
In 1881, Maharaja Sayajirao III gifted Varma a studio on the palace grounds where he created paintings inspired by Hindu epics.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum Trust restored the dilapidated studio in 2017 and ran a five-year program hosting artists for 30 to 45 day residencies. Artists like David Malaker from Kolkata and Prajith Elampilal from Kerala found the space valuable for uninterrupted work and inspiration. Malaker noted the “mix of Gujarati and Marathi influences” shaped by Vadodara’s royal past, while Elampilal appreciated escaping the usual financial pressures of maintaining a studio.
Residents also described the natural environment around the Lakshmi Vilas Palace grounds, including encounters with monkeys, peacocks, and other wildlife, as influencing their art. The IGNCA and the Trust’s memorandum of understanding ended in August, but the studio will remain open to the public. The Trust plans to host fundraising events, lectures, and exhibitions there.
IGNCA selected one artist per residency cycle from around 70-80 applicants, providing them with a grant and exclusive access to the studio, culminating in an “Open House” for critique from senior artists and scholars.
