Are Tanjore and Mysore Paintings Different?

Lakshmi Krishnamurthy is a distinguished artist, art historian, researcher, restorer, and archivist whose work has been dedicated to preserving and promoting India’s rich visual arts traditions for nearly four decades. Trained at Kalakshetra Foundation and Banasthali Vidyapeeth, she specializes in traditional Indian painting forms including Thanjavur and Mysore paintings, frescoes, tempera, murals, and folk arts. As Founder-Director of Studio Paramparyam and a recipient of the prestigious Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research, she has combined artistic practice with rigorous scholarship, undertaking extensive research on the evolution of Indian painting traditions while creating and restoring hundreds of artworks for institutions, temples, and private collections in India and abroad.

From 2011 to 2021, Lakshmi Krishnamurthy served as Head of the Visual Arts Department at Kalakshetra Foundation, where she revitalized the curriculum, organized workshops and residencies with leading artists, and strengthened the institution’s focus on Indian art heritage. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Kalaichemmal Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Women Achievers Award from MGR Janaki College. A prolific writer, lecturer, and curator, she has published extensively on Indian art and culture, presented talks at leading academic and cultural institutions across the country, and exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Through her artistic, educational, and research endeavors, she continues to play a vital role in safeguarding and reinterpreting India’s visual heritage for contemporary audiences.

R G Singh is a collector, curator, and cultural advocate dedicated to preserving and promoting Karnataka’s artistic heritage. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with traditional paintings and artefacts, he has built an exceptional collection of Mysore paintings over nearly four decades, culminating in the establishment of the Ramsingh Museum of Mysore Paintings in 2020. As Honorary Secretary of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), he has supported research, conservation, and public engagement with traditional arts and crafts.

Through initiatives such as Ramsons Bombe Mane, Mysore’s renowned annual doll exhibition, Ramsons Kreedaa Kaushalya, which revives traditional Indian board games, and the Kaladevi Doll Museum, South India’s first doll museum, Singh has helped bring cultural traditions to new generations. He has also curated numerous exhibitions celebrating Mysore painting, Karnataka crafts, and the works of leading artists, making him an important contributor to the region’s cultural life.

H S Dharmendra (Raghu) is an art historian, curator, researcher, and designer based in Mysuru. Holding postgraduate degrees in Computer Applications and Fine Arts (Art History), and currently pursuing studies in Ancient History and Archaeology, he serves as the art historian and designer at Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP) and as curator of the Kaladevi Doll Museum and the Ramsingh Museum of Mysore Paintings. His work focuses on traditional Mysore paintings, Indian dolls, and indigenous board games.

A former guest lecturer in Art History and Aesthetics at CAVA, Mysuru, Dharmendra is the co-author of several publications, including Indian Traditional Board Games – A Guide to the Art of Play and Mysuru Chitra Siri. He has curated exhibitions, symposia, and research projects on traditional art forms, and regularly delivers lectures and presentations on Mysore painting and Indian board games at national and international forums.