A Center for Visual Arts and Art History
Mentors
Dr Rahul Majumder
Dr Rahul Majumder is an art historian with a focus on vernacular visual cultures and performative-pictorial and narrative visual traditions. He received his 'Master's in Visual Arts' in Art History from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (2017) and his 'Bachelor of Fine Arts' in History of Art from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati (2015).
He recently defended his doctoral thesis at Visva-Bharati, titled "Myths, Images, and Songs: A Study in Tracing the Trajectory of Performative Pictorial Tradition of Jadopotua Scroll in Eastern India." His research engages with questions of ambiguous historiography, mythified hereditary practice, and visual narrativity in the scroll painting tradition of the Jadopotuas.
Rahul has contributed as an Editorial Assistant for the centenary volume on Kala Bhavana published by the Lalit Kala Akademi. He has worked as an Art History Research Associate for an INTACH-led archival project documenting tangible heritage sites between Satna and Panna. He has also been involved in photo documentation and research on a private patachitra collection of the Naya artist community.
His scholarly writings have appeared in peer-reviewed journals, cultural magazines, and websites such as Critical Collective, Kalakalpa, Academic Discourse, Art & Deal, Nandan, Insignia and others. His professional engagements over recent years include editorial work, research consultancy, and archival documentation within the field of South Asian art history.
Dr Abhilasha Pandey
Dr. Abhilasha Pandey is a visual artist, researcher, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice explores the intersections of ecological thought, community engagement, and contemporary visual art. She holds a Master of Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Painting from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and has recently submitted her doctoral thesis at Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University. Her research, titled “Ecosophy in Praxis: Art Practice as an Interdisciplinary Approach to Social Engagement and Ecological Sustainability,” critically engages with ecosophical frameworks and the role of art in environmental discourse.
Dr. Pandey’s scholarly writings have appeared in journals such as Art and Deal, Academic Discourse, Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, and EPRA International Journal. Her work has been presented at national and international conferences, including the FEINART Summer School in Germany and workshops with FICA and Serendipity Arts. As an exhibiting artist, she has participated in significant platforms such as the Anima Mundi Festival at the 57th Venice Biennale and group exhibitions across India and abroad.
Dr Pandey recently served as an Assistant Professor in the School of Liberal & Creative Arts (Fine Arts) at Lovely Professional University, Punjab and K.R. Mangalam University, Noida. Dr. Pandey is passionate about curriculum innovation and pedagogy that bridges practice, research, and social responsibility. Her areas of interest include ecological art practices, indigenous knowledge systems, socially engaged art, and sustainable living.
