Latika Katt (born 1948) is an Indian sculptor who specializes in stone carving, metal casting and bronze sculpting.[1] She is notable for winning the Beijing Art Biennale Award for her bronze work titled "Makar Sankranti at Dashawmeth Ghat, Varanasi.[2][3]
Life and career
Latika graduated from The Doon School, an all-boys school in Dehradun. She has admitted that being in the minority as a girl in an all-boys school gave her confidence and courage in her later years.[4] She started attending the Baroda College of Art to pursue Bachelor's in Fine Art, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda where she graduated with First Class honours in 1971.[5] She was awarded a scholarship to research at the Slade School of Art, London University, London in 1981.[6]
She first got great recognition in the 1970s for a body of experimental work made from cow dung as she did not have funds for anything else.[4] Her talent was spotted by the politician and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during an art exhibition, who later encouraged her to take sculpting as a profession.[7]
She is a great admirer of Auguste Rodin and uses naturalism as her leitmotif.[8] Her interest and association with nature was kindled by her father, a botanist.[4] She taught at Jamia Millia Islamia and Banaras Hindu University for many years starting 1981 and is currently the Head of Department of Fine Arts at Jamia Millia Islamia.[5] Claiming to sculpt real people, most of her subjects are her relatives, friends and students.[8]
