Anindita Bhattacharya has been invited to visit the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford under the Freer Hall artist-in-residence programme. During her visit, she will have access to the museum’s collections in galleries and in storage. She will have an opportunity to handle historical materials, acting as inspiration for her work and her process as an artist. Anindita is the first artist from India to be invited to the Ashmolean Museum for such an opportunity. Gallery Threshold fosters an environment for artists to develop their careers through collaborations with cultural institutions and celebrates this achievement. We look forward to seeing the integration and reflection of this experience in Anindita Bhattacharya’s work.

“I feel incredibly honoured to be the artist in residence at the Ashmolean Museum. Access to the Museum’s collections in person, especially the Eastern Art collections, holds immense significance for me. Since my formative years I have been drawn to the linguistic and aesthetic nuances of the art of manuscript illumination, particularly Mughal and by extension Persian manuscripts. A pivotal aspect of my artistic expression revolves around fostering a connection between tradition and contemporary discourse. So this opportunity to explore and engage with collections from Eastern Art not only enriches my artistic practice but also deepens my understanding of the cultural and historical context.” – Anindita Bhattacharya