कम लोगों को ही पता होगा कि अजमेर की संभागीय आयुक्त श्रीमती किरण सोनी गुप्ता न केवल कुशल प्रशासक हैं, अपितु एक कलाकार के नाते कला जगत में एक जानी-मानी व उत्कृष्ठ कलाकार के रूप में स्थापित हैं। कला के प्रति उनकी गहरी रुचि का ही प्रमाण है कि इन दिनों अंतर्राष्ट्रीय ख्याति प्राप्त पुष्कर मेले में उनकी पहल पर पहली बार कार्तिक कला मेले का शुभारम्भ किया गया, जिसमें 25 से अधिक चित्रकार पुष्कर मेले को वाटर कलर से शीट पर उकेर रहे हैं। पुष्कर मेले में कला व फोटो को प्रोत्साहित करने की दृष्टि से पहली बार यह कला मेला और फोटो कन्टेस्ट आयोजित किया गया है। इन दोनों प्रतियोगिता में 5 सर्वश्रेष्ठ और 5 श्रेष्ठ पेन्टिंग्स व फोटो को पुष्कर मेला विकास समिति की ओर से नकद राशि से सम्मानित किया जायेगा।
- पेन्टिग बनाकर कार्तिक कला मेले का शुभारंभ करतीं श्रीमती गुप्ता
अपनी कला को दुनियाभर में साझा करने व कला को प्रोत्साहन देने की खातिर ही उन्होंने किरण सोनी आटर््स नामक वेबसाइट बना रखी है, जिसमें उनकी बेहतरीन कलाकृतियां मौजूद हैं।
आइये, और अधिक जानें उनके बारे में, जो कि उनकी साइट पर ही अंकित है:-
Kiran Soni Gupta is an artist, prolific writer and an activist administrator. She is an officer from the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service presently posted in Rajasthan. She has worked in different assignments in Government of India, Government of Kerala and Rajasthan. She has been District Collector of two districts and Divisional Commissioner of Jaipur and Jodhpur. The National Productivity Council NPC and NABARD have recognized her with National awards for her administrative and developmental initiatives.
Harvard University selected her in 2005 for the prestigious Mason Fellowship to study for a Master’s in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government. She was also awarded a popular scholarship in 2004 for a Master’s in Public Policy at the Maxwell School, Syracuse.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, she has kept up her interest in painting as an artist for more than two decades. It has been a journey of exploring her soul and the environment through her varied administrative experiences. Her works can be accessed on website www.kiransoniarts.com.
Kiran was conferred with the" Artist of the Year 2009" and “Special Achiever Award 2009". She was also given the “Kala Shiromani Award" in 2008. One of her paintings on the ‘Famine’ depicting its impact on women and children in India won the National Award in 2003. In 2004 another painting ‘Matters of Heart' was commended in the All India Fine Arts Exhibition. The Times of India has brought out a trilogy of books “Beyond Strokes",” Kiran's Art Renderings" and "Women - God's Finest Creation" based on themes in her artworks..
The artist has held more than two dozen solo art shows in major cities including Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Her latest exhibit “Desert Symphony" at the National Museum New Delhi was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh in April 2011. Dr. Swaraj Paul in 2010 had presided over her exhibit at Nehru Centre London. This is her third exhibit in Mumbai which is scheduled to be held at the Nehru Centre Worli from 15th-21st May 2012. Her first show was at Taj Mumbai in 2002 and the second one at Artists' Centre Kala Ghoda in November 2011 that received an overwhelming response..
- श्रीमती किरण सोनी गुप्ता की एक बेहतरीन कलाकृति
Many institutions have provided Kiran opportunities to teach ethnic Indian Art including the East-West Centre, Hawaii and Centre for Adult Education, Harvard. She was awarded the Valparaiso Fellowship, Spain this year and Centrum Residency, US in 2008. Kiran has also promoted art through events in many places, including "Kala Kumb' in Bikaner, a congregation of 150 artists from across India organized through community support.
She believes that man’s soul is the architect of history and that art is the manifestation of man’s soul & reflection of human identity. Art is unbounded and recognizes no constraints. Her artworks auctions in Cambridge for raising charity for children’s food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social causes. In her words, “I prefer that my works of art begin with an intimate cerebral connection with my subject. In order to love what I paint, I must paint what I love, and get to know my subject personally. Direct observation connects me with my subject in a way that no photograph ever did. I get to wrap my head around it - while the visual elements get woven in my memory through use of my hands and eyes. I get clear about my feelings about the subject and then translate those feelings, along with my ideas, into the final artistic work- making art that connects.
