SwissArtGallery · Documented identity
According to sources, B. Prabha (1933–2001) developed her visual language from early abstract forms towards a more pronounced and decorative figuration. Born in Nagpur and raised in Bela, near the city, in Maharashtra, she studied at the Nagpur School of Art and went on to earn a diploma from the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay in 1955.
She was still a student when her first exhibition took place, and three paintings were acquired by Homi J. Bhabha for the art collection of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. In 1956, Air India bought six of her paintings for 87.50 rupees, according to the source. The airline also commissioned a mural for its booking office in Bangkok; another mural commission came from the Indian embassy in Tokyo. In a statement attributed to the artist, she says that she wanted to record her impression of the moment rather than project realism: a formulation that sheds light on her approach without reducing her works to a single intention.
Prabha held two solo exhibitions at the Kumar Gallery in Delhi, in 1959 and 1961. In 1958, she took part in the Bombay State Art Exhibition, where she received first prize. After her death, her works featured in Winter Moderns at Aicon Gallery in New York and Pot Pourri at Gallery Beyond in Mumbai, both presented in 2008. DAG later included them in Manifestations VIII: 20th Century Indian Art (2012), followed by Ways of Seeing: Women Artists | Women as Muse (2021).
This profile brings together identity references for B. Prabha and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.
1 references are documented at Dobiaschofsky. Each record links to its source; the amounts are not a general valuation of the artist’s work.
Oil on canvas
"Blue Moon".
Öl auf Leinwand
Catalogue period : 2017-11-10
Published result : 9000 CHF
Fees not specified in the available data
Estimate : CHF 12000
View the lot at the auction house ↗SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
Documentation updated : 2026-10-19
