Mukta Venkatesh was a painter, poet and literature enthusiast. She was born in
Tamil Nadu in May 1902 in a family known for its love for literature. Her father, A Madhaviah, was a pioneer in modern
Tamil literature. As a child, she took the liberty to draw whatever subject that fascinated her. In recognition and appreciation of her artistic talents, her father appointed Ms Hope of the Madras School of Arts, as her drawing teacher.
Mukta did the background research for 'Clarinda,' a novel based on the real life story of a Brahmin widow rescued from imminent Sati by a Christian. She is renowned for her innumerable paintings of flowers. She has a unique skill in repairing damaged paintings.
An exhibition of Mukta's flowers titled 'Flowers from Mysore Gardens' was held in Tokyo in 1982. The second one was held at the All India Fine Arts and Craft Society at New Delhi. Permanent collections of her paintings are displayed in galleries in Delhi. Mukta Venkatesh died at the ripe old age of 101.
