Carmel Berkson | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1924-11-08)November 8, 1924 (age 101) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sculptor |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2010) |
Carmel Berkson (born November 8, 1924) is an American sculptor known for her documentation and books onIndian art, aesthetics andarchitecture. She was conferred thePadma Shri by theGovernment of India in 2010.[1][2]
Berkson was born in New York City on November 8, 1924.[3] She majored in history at theDuke University and after graduation, studied sculpture at theColumbia University underMilton Hebald. She is married to Martin Fleisher a batchmate of hers from Duke.[4]
By the time she first visitedIndia in 1970 Berkson had been a practising sculptor for 22 years. That trip, during which she visitedElephanta,Ellora andMahabalipuram, was a transformative one for her. Berkson soon gave up her career as a sculptor and began to tour India to study its important architectural and cultural sites. In 1977 she moved her main residence toMumbai in India to continue with her research into the philosophy, mythology and artistic developments inIndian sculpture.[5]
Berkson is noted for both her documentation and commentary onIndian art as well as her own work as a sculptor. She took up sculpting again in 2001 after a hiatus of nearly three decades. Most of her sculptures are renditions of figures fromIndian mythology but reflectcubist influences in their depiction.[6]
Her work while drawing from and alluding toHindu,Christian andBuddhist mythology are noted for their simple, clean forms that reflect a modern aesthetic.[7]
Some of her sculptures are those ofLakshmi andVishnu as horse and mare,bronze statues ofShiva as Apsamara and of Vishnu atopGaruda. TheMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York has in its possession a collection of her photographs of ancient Indian sculpture.[6]
Berkson is the author of several books on Indian art. These include:
TheGovernment of India honoured Berkson by awarding her the Padma Shri in 2010.[9] Berkson announced her retirement from work and plans to return to the USA later that year.[6] She donated 38 of her sculptures to the permanent collection at theNational Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai in 2011.[10]
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