Meera Joshi

Meera Joshi (75) is the face of the traditional Aipan artform of Kumaon. A devotee of the artform of the highest order, she has been practicing it for more than half a century. Her home houses countless examples of exquisite Aipan art of her own design. Her art has featured in numerous national and state level exhibitions.

Apart from being a practicing artisan, she is also a conservator, working tirelessly to preserve the traditional techniques of an artform that has witnessed a high incidence of adaptability in recent years, which, despite creating modern representation of an ancient artform, has also chipped away at its intangible cultural heritage. Concerned about the sustainability of this artform in the future, Ms. Joshi also mentors a hundred budding artisans every year to create future ambassadors of Aipan like her. Her students are particularly fond of her ability to explain the nuances of the art in the simplest words.

In her long and illustrious career, this is the first time that she has organised but a small section of her art into a catalogue.