Olympe Ramakrishna
Olympe Ramakrishna | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 February 1986 Lisieux, France |
| Occupation | Visual artist |
| Website | www |
Olympe Thomas-Lamotte Ramakrishna (born 2 February 1986) is a Franco-Indian visual artist based between Normandy, France, and Bangalore, India. Her work focuses on representations of femininity,[1] combining painting, collage, textile art, and embroidery, and drawing on both European and Indian artistic traditions.[2] Her practice includes a focus on the role of women in history.[3]
Early life and education
Olympe Thomas-Lamotte Ramakrishna was born on 2 February 1986 in Lisieux, Normandy. She trained in life drawing and anatomy at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and the Atelier Artmedium, and later continued her artistic practice in London at the Battersea Arts Centre.[4]
Artistic practice
Ramakrishna's artistic influences range from the Flemish Primitives, Ingres, Gauguin, Pierre-Joseph Redoute, as well as Mughal paintings, Company paintings, Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher Gil.[4] Many of her exhibited pieces have been portraits of Indian women, such as her 2023 series, Women of Bangalore.[5] Her work is often described as symbolic, particularly through her use of the sari and visual references that blend European and Indian traditions.[2] She also explores the fluidity and transparency of textile materials.[6][7] Combining these focuses, Ramakrishna has produced multiple works using cotton saris painted with images of Indian women and their generational cultural evolution, such as her 2026 piece Voices of the Western Coast.[8]
Exhibitions
Her work has been presented in multiple exhibitions across India, including within the Alliance Française network, notably in Delhi,[1] Bangalore,[9] and Thiruvananthapuram.[10]
It was also shown in France at the Church of Vieux Saint-Sauveur de Caen,[11] and at the Château de Fontaine-Henry, in Normandy, during an exhibition dedicated to Mathilde de Flandres.[3]
References
- ^ a b Rai, Annapurna (8 March 2025). "Olympe Ramakrishna's silk portraits: A digital tribute to sensual tradition of saris". The Week. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b Kalra, Vandana (10 March 2025). "Indo-French artist Olympe Ramakrishna draws from European and Indian artistic traditions for her portraits". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Une création inédite honorant Mathilde de Flandre au château de Fontaine-Henry, ce week-end" [A unique creation honoring Matilda of Flanders will be presented at Fontaine-Henry Castle this weekend]. Ouest-France (in French). 19 September 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b Chawla, Noor Anand (6 March 2025). "Faces In the Mirror". OPEN. 4 (11). Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Dhanaraj, Ruth (19 October 2023). "Women of Bangalore by Olympe Ramakrishna bridges modernity and tradition". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Banerjee, Mrittika (7 June 2025). "Painted In Silk, Rooted In Reality". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ M.N., Rakshitha (20 February 2019). "Indian saris inspire this French artist". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Trace the stories of coastal women woven into a Kerala saree by a Franco-Indian artist". Architect and Interiors India. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Monalisa, Monika (13 October 2023). "Wonder women". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2026.}
- ^ K. B., Parvana (11 March 2026). "Culture tale in a sari". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "À Caen, l'église du Vieux-Saint-Sauveur accueille une exposition dédiée aux femmes indiennes" [In Caen, the Vieux-Saint-Sauveur church is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Indian women]. Ouest-France (in French). 29 December 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2026.