At the 2025 Eastern Eye Art, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), the prestigious Editor’s Special Award was presented to Professor Partha Mitter in recognition of his pioneering scholarship on Indian art and his role in transforming global understandings of art history. Professor Mitter’s work has been instrumental in reshaping the narratives around Indian artists within the broader context of modernism and postcolonial studies, bridging cultural perspectives between East and West with profound insight.
Professor Mitter, Emeritus Professor at the University of Sussex, holds distinguished academic positions worldwide, including Adjunct Professor at Carleton University, Canada, and membership at Wolfson College, Oxford. His illustrious career includes fellowships at some of the world’s leading institutions such as Cambridge University, the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, reflecting his international influence and scholarly standing.
Born in India and educated in both India and the UK, Professor Mitter’s academic legacy was established with his seminal book Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art (Clarendon Press, 1977; Chicago University Press, 1992). This work offered a critical re-examination of colonial attitudes towards Indian art and was recognised by ARTnews in its 100th Anniversary Issue (November 2002) as one of the most influential books of the century.
His later works, including The Triumph of Modernism: India’s Artists and the Avant-Garde 1922–1947 and the recently edited 20th Century Indian Art (Thames & Hudson, 2023), further expanded the field by highlighting India’s modernist movements and artistic innovations. In 2000, Professor Mitter was invited by the Indian Ministry of Culture to establish the School of Art and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, marking a significant contribution to the development of art education in India.
This special award at ACTAs 2025 recognises not only Professor Mitter’s outstanding scholarly achievements but also his enduring influence on academics, curators, and artists worldwide. His work stands as a lasting testament to the power of art history in connecting cultures and inspiring critical dialogue.
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