Shammi Bannu

Guru-Shishya Parampara is a relationship based on legacy, transference, and preservation which hereditary master artist Shammi Bannu Sharma has received from his father late Mr. Ved Pal Bannu ji. This relationship is a practice passed down through seven generations, beginning from forefathers who were court painters from the time of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Born in 1970, his practice is firmly rooted in the tradition of miniature painting that has greatly expanded, both in traditionally sized works and in variations in the form of site-specific installations and paintings. Shammi Bannu is among the few who still use the traditional style of mineral pigments for his paintings and has conducted an important restoration workshop at the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London. His work is widely celebrated for intersecting cultural and historical narratives with a contemporary outlook and has been displayed at various group shows such as Anonymous Shiva Linga Paintings: The Hudson Collection at ICON Gallery, Fairfield (2019), and Kala Vithi, curated by Durgesh Shankar at Rabindra Bhavan, Jaipur (2016). He has collaborated with several designers such as Shantanu Garg (2016), and Doshi Levien Design (2019). For his exemplary work in Rajasthan miniatures, Shammi Bannu was awarded the prestigious ‘National Award’ in 2014. He currently resides and practices in Jaipur.