Tripura artist Santa Deb wins the 65th Lalit Kala Akademi National Award for her ceramic sculpture ‘Attraction of Simplicity’, becoming the state’s first woman ceramic sculptor to receive the national honour at the 65th National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi.
Tripura artist Santa Deb has brought national recognition to the state’s art community by receiving the 65th Lalit Kala Akademi National Award for her ceramic sculpture ‘Attraction of Simplicity’ at the 65th National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi.
With the honour, Deb has become the first woman ceramic sculptor from Tripura to receive the national award, marking a significant achievement for the state’s contemporary art and ceramic sculpture traditions.
The Lalit Kala Akademi announced the names of 20 awardees at the national exhibition on September 27. The exhibition witnessed a large response from artists across the country, with the Akademi receiving 6,175 artworks from 2,495 artists representing 27 states and Union Territories. Of these, 270 artworks were selected for display at the National Exhibition of Art. A second-tier jury subsequently selected 20 artworks for the Lalit Kala Akademi Awards.
As part of the recognition, Santa Deb will receive prize money of Rs 2 lakh. Her award-winning ceramic sculpture has also been sold for Rs 4 lakh, adding further significance to the recognition of her work at the national level.
Deb’s award-winning work, ‘Attraction of Simplicity’, reflects the influence of folk art, childhood memories and contemporary artistic expression. According to the artist, folk art has remained an important part of her artistic journey and has influenced the way she understands society, culture and community life.
Speaking about the sculpture, Deb said her childhood memories of watching her mother make clay dolls by hand played an important role in shaping her artistic approach. The simplicity of the handmade clay forms influenced her belief that an artwork does not necessarily require complex structures to communicate deeper ideas and emotions.
The sculpture uses masks to represent different identities and hidden faces in society, while birds symbolise freedom and liberation. The work also portrays a group of young women travelling on the backs of birds towards an infinite horizon.
According to Deb, the journey of the women depicted in the sculpture represents the pursuit of dreams and the movement beyond social constraints towards self-discovery and hope. Through the composition, she has brought together elements of traditional folk art and contemporary expression while exploring social realities and the human desire for freedom.
The award is also significant for Tripura’s ceramic art community, as Deb becomes the seventh artist from the state to receive the Lalit Kala Akademi Award, according to information provided by the artist. Six artists from Tripura had previously received the national honour.
Deb currently works at the Lalit Kala Akademi’s Northeast Regional Centre in Agartala, which is operating from Nazrul Kalakshetra. Her recognition at the national exhibition has brought renewed attention to ceramic sculpture and the influence of folk-art traditions emerging from Tripura.
The 65th National Exhibition of Art has provided a national platform for artists from different parts of India to showcase their creative practices. Deb’s selection among the 20 awardees highlights the presence of Tripura artists in the country’s contemporary art landscape.
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President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to felicitate Santa Deb and the other Lalit Kala Akademi awardees in October. The felicitation will formally recognise the artists selected for the 65th Lalit Kala Akademi National Awards.
