B. Prabha

Modern

B. Prabha (1933-2001)

There is no mistaking B Prabha’s style, exclusively painting women with dark skin, elongated necks dressed, in traditional attire. Prabha composes the women in her paintings against a tree, or pure colour fields, and though they appear to be in stasis, Prabha wants to document the story of the struggles of women and the challenges in their life. The other two subject which are recurring subjects of her oeuvres are landscapes and still life. 

B Prabha studied first in Nagpur College of Art in Maharashtra. She was born in a village near this town, but her talent led her to move to Mumbai to study at the Sir J J School. She blossomed in Mumbai. Homi J Bhabha bought her works while she was still a student. It is worth noting that B.Prabha created her style of painting elongated figures with well-defined and bold outlines early on in her career, and over the years her brush work and colours became more confident.

An artist who made an impact on her was Amrita Sher Gil. 

Prabha lived and work in Mumbai with her husband and fellow sculptor B. Vithal. Her works are in the collection of Air India and the National Gallery of Modern Art, and no auction catalogue is complete without a representation of work in the sale