Shanta studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts M.S.University Baroda from 1995-2001 a university of immense repute. She worked under the guidence of Prof. Dhruv Mistry and Prof.Raghav Kaneria both of whom are acclaimed scruptors. She is a first class graduate from Sculpture Department and completed her Masters Degree in 2001. She has many awards to her credit and she has exhibited her work at leading Art Galleries in India.
Many of her works are pride possession of some of well known Corporates and Art Galleries
At present she is working as Assistant Professor, Department of sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts
She has been the recipient of National Cultural Scholarship (2000-02) and Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship (2003-04).
Her sculptures have bagged the AIFACS Millennium All-India Art Award, Ahmedabad in 2000, the AIFACS Award, New Delhi in 1998 and the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Akademi Awards in 1999 and 2002. She has had Solo Shows at Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2001, at Contemporary Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, in 2002 and at Marvel Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, in 2007; and a Two-Person Show at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai in 2005, 2007 &2009. She has been invited to participate is several prestigious group shows such the Harmony Show, Mumbai, in 2004, Bombay Art Society Show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2005, Hanging Sculptures (2005) and Sprouting Sculptures (2006), Akruti Art Gallery, Vadodara, and so on. Shanta’s sculptures are in several collections in India and abroad. She lives and works in Vadodara. Presently, she is also the In charge of Sculpture Department at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University of Baroda
My works reflect youthful innocence, passion and zeal of life. "Many of my Bronze creations are "like a poetry" of innocence of childhood and the wisdom and maturity of womanhood. They try to bring back the pleasure and enigma surrounding the experiences of my life."
Most of my works are inspired by my rite of passage from childhood to womanhood. The works reflect youthful innocence, passion and the zeal of life. There is a sense of precariousness of delicate balance, harmony and tremendous movement in my sculptures, often arousing a sense of anticipation and an aspiring realization of the sublime of nature. The viewer is drawn into an apt reminder of lost innocence and pleasures of the childhood through an array of jumping, skipping, skating and riding figures defying gravity. The second series is called SHRINGAR which represents the ashta-nayikas (the female protagonist) The female character in my works are gracefully clad sensuous yet very bold and determined. She sits upright with folded legs and combing her hair with her fingers, or suggestively gazing at herself. She lures the onlooker with her beauty and sensuality, tapping her toes to a tune that lingers in her head. Her strength is conveyed through her feminity and the confidence of her beauty. In my latest series-An Ode to Nature, I am trying to compare Nature to woman. I find there is a deep feminine connection between Earth(nature) and women, both vital for creation and nurturer of life and both are extremely exploited for their resources.
Bronze create both a physical and mental challenge. The modeling technique in the bronze process allows more freedom in conception of a subject while still maintaining the stylized format. I place a lot of importance on the patinas, which I feel further enhances the quality to my bronze works. My use of colour achieved through patination of the Bronze enhances the quality of life and memories of my early experiences I find peace in the process and look forward to their challenges.
