Anita Chanda (formerly Anita Chanda Peace)[1] is an artist, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire of Indian parents. She grew up in India and was educated at Loreto Convent. When her family moved backed to England she studied Fine Art at the Putney School of Art, and Graphic Art at Sir John Cass College of Art, London (now a department of the London Metropolitan University). She has exhibited her paintings at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and in galleries in London. She has lived and worked in many different countries as an artist and as a leadership and management trainer/coach. Her Indian roots are apparent in the vivid colours she uses. The blending of the old with the new mirrors her changing roles and cross-cultural life experiences.
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Nehru Centre, London. In 1999 the Indian Council for Cultural Relations invited her to exhibit her paintings at the Nehru Centre of the High Commission of India in London. This one-person exhibition was opened by Lalit Mansingh, High Commissioner for India[2]
The Orangery, London. Her exhibition in association with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea "The Sari Series" at The Orangery Gallery, Holland Park, London in 2005 is featured on the British-Asian portal Red Hot Curry. This is a series of works inspired by the creativity of Indian weavers,[3] whose brightly-coloured temple silks and crisp cottons Anita "rediscovered" from her Indian childhood during a visit to Chennai (formerly Madras). The works are a mixed-media collage of sari borders, glass bangles and brightly-coloured acrylic paints, creating a tactile combination of texture, colour and form, which resulted in a shortlisting for the 2006 BlindArt Sense & Sensuality award, eventually won by Nick Hornby.[4]
Other galleries. In London, the Walk Gallery featured Anita's work in its 2006 Summer Show and the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery has also shown her recent work.
Many of Anita's paintings are in private and corporate collections in UK, India and US, including those of:
Her recent work has been shown at the Nehru Centre, The Walk and Llewellyn Alexander in London.