Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Raja Ravi Varma Studio Gives New Artists Space
Raja Ravi Varma was a famous Indian painter who worked in Vadodara in 1881.
His old studio near Lakshmi Vilas Palace was repaired after years of neglect.
For five years, the studio welcomed modern artists from different parts of India.
These artists lived and worked there for about one to one-and-a-half months.
They said the large, peaceful space helped them concentrate and try new ideas.
Some painted the local history, animals and surroundings they saw in Vadodara.
The artists also received advice from experienced artists and scholars during open-house events.
The formal agreement supporting the residencies ended in August.
The studio may still be used for cultural events and possibly more artistic activities.
The restored Raja Ravi Varma Studio in Vadodara hosted contemporary artists through residencies lasting 30 to 45 days.
The five-year collaboration between IGNCA and the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum Trust ended in August.
Artists said the studio’s heritage, spaciousness, natural light and surroundings influenced their work.
IGNCA selected one artist per cycle from roughly 70 to 80 applications and provided a grant and exclusive studio access.
The trust said the collaboration may continue in a different form through exhibitions, lectures, fundraising and other events.
- Who
- The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum Trust and contemporary artists, including David Malaker, Prajith Elampilal, Neelima Nath and Joseph J Joseph.
- What
- A restored Raja Ravi Varma Studio hosted artist residencies, but the five-year agreement supporting them ended in August.
- When
- The agreement began in 2017; residencies started in 2021, with Joseph J Joseph participating in August-September 2024.
- Where
- The Raja Ravi Varma Studio on the Lakshmi Vilas Palace grounds in Vadodara, Gujarat.
- Why
- The studio was restored to preserve an important heritage site and provide artists with space, financial support and access to artistic critique.
Continue Artist Residencies
Expand Cultural Programming
Future of the studio
Continue Artist Residencies
IGNCA’s regional director argued that the space should remain available to artists rather than become an administrative office, preserving its original creative purpose.
Expand Cultural Programming
The Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum Trust said the collaboration was changing form and that the studio could be used for exhibitions, lectures, fundraising and other events.
How the space should be used
Continue Artist Residencies
Residencies gave artists dedicated space, financial support and access to critiques, enabling experimentation and large-scale work.
Expand Cultural Programming
The studio had also been consistently used for curated exhibitions, suggesting a broader cultural role beyond residential studio programs.
- Original artist
- Raja Ravi Varma came to Vadodara in 1881 and created around a dozen paintings of the royal family.
- Restoration agreement
- IGNCA and the Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum Trust signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in 2017.
- Residency duration
- Artists generally received 30 to 45 days, or about one to one-and-a-half months, of studio access.
- Selection process
- IGNCA received approximately 70 to 80 applications and selected one artist per cycle.
- Residency cycles
- The studio offered monsoon residencies in July-August and winter residencies in December-January.
- Support offered
- Residents received a modest grant, exclusive studio access and feedback through an Open House.
- Future use
- The trust said the studio may host curated exhibitions, fundraising events, lectures and other programs.