Famous Indian Artists: Creating Timeless Wonders – Artist Dhaarna

Let’s take a glance at the life and achievements of Artist Dhaarna – One of the famous artists of india includes the name ‘Dhaarna’. Dhaarna is not only a marvelous painter but also a trained classical singer in soft Indian classical music. Born on 18 February, Dhaarna pursued to study in a Bachelors’s Degree in Fine Arts, from the Delhi College of Arts.

Exposure for Art

Coming from a family of a renowned painter like her father, artist P Khemraj, who was very well known in India and abroad, and her mother, Nirmala Khemraj, who was a classical singer, Dhaarna says, creativity came very naturally to her, and art was ‘the way of life’ for her since childhood.

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Dhaarna’s (late) father, P. Khemraj, also known as a ‘Renaissance Man’, can only be described as a virtuoso who excelled at works of art, sculpture, and music. Fondly known as ‘Khem’, he was a highly renowned Indian artist who was acclaimed overseas as both, an artist and a musician. He played the violin and sarod while her mother, Nirmala, was a classical singer. It is therefore hardly surprising that art and music form the lifeblood of Dhaarna’s culture.

Dhaarna took a lot of interest in finer arts while growing up. The source of recreation for her was always art and music due to her interest in attending exhibitions and concerts held by famous artists and musicians. Today, her beautifully depicted work in art and music reflect the years of exposure that was encouraged by her parents.

One of the many reasons why Dhaarna started creating murals is again attributed to her father, whose beautiful paintings and murals inspired her enough to create her own.

Today, Dhaarna’s murals can be seen in several corporate houses and public sector enterprises which are the result of bringing together architects, designers, and corporate representatives into a close-knit bond of her own making.  With her vast experience, Dhaarna recommends that everyone must follow their passions in life. “That’s because passion makes things beautiful, and effortless.”

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The meaning of Art for Dhaarna

Starting her professional journey in the field of art at a very young age, Dhaarna firmly believes that a piece of art must inspire people. It must provoke them to think and elevate them to a place that is far above their mundane life. As an artist, she does not reflect on her career as a struggle because she enjoys knowing that whatever she creates will inspire people throughout the world. While the journey is stimulating for her, she wishes for the inevitable destination not to arrive. Dhaarna constantly seeks creativity and lives a minimalistic life with no tags as she believes that it is the best way forward.  In her view, life has to be feather-light because anything that is heavy will weigh you down; be it a relationship, workplace, or just anything.

The First Exhibition – 1996

Dhaarna’s first exhibition, in March 1996, was entitled: ‘Bajuri’ which means, ‘the first flash of lightning before the thunder’. In this exhibition, most of her paintings were themed around mother and child bonding. Interestingly,  12 years later,  she named her daughter, ‘Baajurie’.

Another interesting story that we discovered about Dhaarna’s first exhibition was that when she organized her first exhibition in 1996, inaugurated by the honorary former prime minister, Shri VP Singh, she wrote: ‘Dhaarna’ – in her catalog and media. This was because her father made her realize how easy it would be for her to achieve success simply by being the daughter of such a renowned artist. It was then when she realized and chose to be recognized for her work as an individual, rather than by attaching ‘Khemraj’ to her name. Ever since that first exhibition, she has presented her work to the world simply as: ‘Artist Dhaarna’.

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Following this incident, Dhaarna concluded that every artist, or for that matter everyone must face their own struggles by doing everything for themselves without the help of parents, gurus, or anyone else. She believes that while she was fortunate enough to get exposure to art and music at an early age, it was her driving passion that earned her fame and fortune.

Work and Recognition

Dhaarna has won several laurels, nationally and internationally and some of her famous murals can be seen at:

• IIRS, Dehradun;
• PMI Building, Noida;
• NTPC Noida;
• Hindustan Prefab Ltd., New Delhi;
• Asian Games Village, New Delhi;
• Jindal Steel, New Delhi;
• Ministry Of Urban Development; and
• Many more to her credit.

Not just this, Dhaarna also recently presented some murals at the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra in Delhi which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi himself.

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Scope for growth

While Dhaarna has worked with several architects, designers, and corporate representatives, she is surely a person who recommends other artists for the work she cannot take on. With a lot of work in her hands, there are times when she cannot take on new projects and that is when she puts forward suggestions for more artists to grow. This is because she believes that all artists can achieve the work that she can, and for that, all they need is the opportunity.

Family matters most

For a fact, a good and supportive husband is all that a girl wants when she thinks of marriage because that is something that affects her life in the most challenging times. So, talking about family, Dhaarna discussed how glad she was to have found a supportive husband like Ajjay Jaisinghani who has been with her and supported her all throughout. She married Ajjay at the age of 29 and said that she was happy to be with a companion like him who supports her growth and vision.

As much as she appreciates her husband, she is also glad to have amazing parents. Both her mother and father are her pillars of strength. Especially her mother, without whose sacrifice neither she nor her father could have persuaded their passion. In the end, she dedicates her work and her inspiration to her daughter, Baajurie”.

Bucket List

The most special part about Dhaarna is that she is a humble and grounded human being who wishes nothing more than the mere feeling of having achieved this grateful life. For her, it’s love alone, which is the single most ingredient required in life. It acts as a catalyst between you and everything that you need to achieve in life.

“If you are able to breathe fresh air, see the natural beauty of flora and fauna,
If the forest, rivers, and mountains can be clean and retained.
And if the wildlife can find an equilibrium with the human existence.
And if the children of the world can run freely in the fields, without any fear.
And if we all can love without judgment.
That’s my bucket list..!”
– Artist Dhaarna❤

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