About Me
Kiran Soni Arts
Kiran Soni Gupta is an artist, prolific writer, keen photographer and an activist administrator. She is an officer from the 1985 batch of the Indian Administrative Service till recently posted as Textile Commissioner Mumbai. Presently she is Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. She has worked in different assignments in Government of India, Government of Kerala and Rajasthan. She has been District Collector of two districts and Divisional Commissioner of Jaipur and Jodhpur. The National Productivity Council NPC and NABARD have recognized her with National awards for her administrative and developmental initiatives.
Harvard University selected her in 2005 for the prestigious Mason Fellowship to study for a Master's in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government. She was also awarded a scholarship in 2004 for a Master’s in Public Policy at the Maxwell School, Syracuse.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, she has kept up her interest in painting as an artist for more than three decades. It has been a journey of exploring her soul and the environment through her varied administrative experiences. Her works can be accessed on website www.kiransoniarts.in
Kiran's artwork 'Shelter', 'Three Generations' and 'Poojatimes' was selected and exhibited at the most famous and most visited Le Louvre Museum in Paris France in Dec 2017, 2013 and 2012. Kiran has been recently honored with Literary Excellence Award at 4th Asiad Litfest 'Unnat Bharat Sewashri Award 2013', Swasti Samman 2013', Special Award at the International Vaish Sammelan 2013',' Rajasthan Gaurav Award 2012' the "Nari Prathibha Samman" in 2012 and was conferred with the" Kala Samridhi Award in 2010, " Artist of the Year 2009" and “Special Achiever Award 2009". She was also given the “Kala Shiromani Award" in 2008. One of her paintings on the ‘Famine’ depicting its impact on women and children in India won the National Award in 2003. Another painting ‘Matters of Heart' was commended in the All India Fine Arts Exhibition in 2004. The Times of India has brought out a trilogy of books “Beyond Strokes",” Kiran's Art Renderings" and "Women - God's Finest Creation" based on themes in her artworks. She has been decorated with National Gaurav Award in 2017 and Fakre-e-hind Award in 2018.
The artist has held more than three dozen solo art shows in major cities in India and in foreign countries including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Tehran, Kandy, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Her also held her solo exhibition “Desert Symphony" at the National Museum New Delhi was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh in April 2011. Dr. Swaraj Paul in 2010 had presided over her exhibit at Nehru Centre London. She has had three exhibits in Mumbai that had received an overwhelming response Besides she also held shows at New Delhi, Naggar, Ludhiana, Kulu and many other places.
Kiran has also promoted art through events in many places, including 'Kala Kumb' in Bikaner, a congregation of 150 artists from across India organized through community support. She was also a visiting artist at the East West Centre, Hawaii. Her artworks auctions in Cambridge in 2007 for raising charity for children’s food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social cause. She also won the Valparaiso Foundation Fellowship, Mojacar, Spain for 2010 and Centrum Residency 2009.
Kiran also conceptualized, curated and organized Jaipur's First International Art Festival in March 2013 with 130 artists drawn from all over the world. The Festival met with a huge success. She also did the 2nd edition of the Arts Festival in 2014 with 240 artists drawn from 24 countries. She organized Gita Kala Parv at Kurukshetra in Dec 2016 and Vigyan Prasar Kala Parv at Indian National Science Academy 2017. Her artwork” Shelter’ was selected for the exhibition at the Louvre Museum Paris in 2017.
She believes that man’s soul is the architect of history and that art is the manifestation of man’s soul & reflection of human identity. Art is unbounded and recognizes no constraints. Her artworks auctions in Cambridge for raising charity for children’s food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social cause. In modern times, art is playing a dominant role in bringing about social change transcending borders and minds. Art is the domain of the dialogue between civilizations and cultures; it can speak in a loud and penetrating voice. Art is most often seen as pleasing the eye - creating beauty. Yet the idea of beauty, like that of truth, is most challenging in the present day. If something moves you to an understanding, somehow unreachable for you, by the common paths of words and reason, it's Art for you. Art is not for the sake of anything…. each art work in its own right depicts the image of the soul of the artist and the society at large. It is the collective conscience of society that helps to define the vision of future. Art is a human activity that has as its purpose the transmission to others of the highest and best feelings to which men have risen.
For her the truth rings in words “To wake the soul by tender strokes of art" - Alexander Pope