Meera Mukherjee facts for kids

Meera Mukherjee (1923–1998) was a famous Indian sculptor and writer. She was known for making ancient Bengali sculpting modern. Meera used special bronze casting methods. She improved the Dhokra method, which uses a technique called Lost-wax casting. She learned this from tribal artists in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. The Indian government gave her the Padma Shri award in 1992. This is one of India's highest civilian awards for her art.

Life and Art

Meera Mukherjee was born in Kolkata in 1923. Her parents were Dwijendramohan Mukherjee and Binapani Devi. She first studied art at the Indian Society of Oriental Art. This school was founded by Abanindranath Tagore.

Early Training

Meera continued her art studies after a short marriage. She joined the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata. She also studied at Delhi Polytechnic (now Delhi Technological University). There, she earned diplomas in painting, graphics, and sculpture.

Later, she worked with an Indonesian artist named Effendi at Santiniketan. In 1953, she received a scholarship to study in Munich, Germany. She worked with famous sculptors like Toni Stadler and Heinrich Kirchner. Toni Stadler especially helped Meera change from a painter to a sculptor.

Becoming a Sculptor

Meera returned to India in 1957. She worked as an art teacher at Dowhill School in Kurseong. In 1959, she moved to Pratt Memorial School in Kolkata. She taught there for one year.

In 1960, Meera decided to work as a freelance artist. She learned the Dhokra casting technique. She trained with tribal artisans in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. This technique uses bell metal to create sculptures.

Research and Famous Works

From 1962 to 1964, Meera did research on bell metal crafts. She studied these crafts in India and Nepal. During this time, she also started showing her art in India and other countries.

Meera created only a few pieces each year. But her works are very famous. Some of her notable sculptures include Ashoka in Kalinga and Earth Carriers. Other well-known pieces are Smiths Working Under a Tree and Mother and Child. Her sculpture Emperor Asoka is displayed at the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi. Her art has also been sold at big international auctions.

Writing for Children

Besides sculpting, Meera Mukherjee also wrote books. She wrote many stories for children. Some of her popular children's books are Little Flower Shefali and Other Stories and Kalo and the Koel. She also wrote books about traditional metal crafts. These include Metal Craft in India (1978) and Metal Craftsmen in India (1979).

Meera Mukherjee passed away in 1998 when she was 75 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Meera Mukherjee received many important awards for her contributions to art.

• In 1968, she received the Press Award for Master Craftsman. This award was given by the President of India.
• She was an Emeritus Fellow of the Indian government.
• In 1976, she received the Excellence Award from Kolkata Ladies’ Study Group.
• The Government of West Bengal honored her with the Abanindra Prize in 1981.
• She held a fellowship from the Ministry of Culture from 1984 to 1986.
• In 1992, the Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri. This is a very high civilian honor.