Alka Pande

Alka Pande was born in Kolkata in 1956. She went to Convent of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi until the 8th and then completed her class 9th to 12th in St. Mary's Convent School, Kanpur, ICS (1972). Pande did her double MA in History of Art from Bombay University in 1981 and Panjab University in 1983. In 1996, she was Awarded a Phd in Art History from the Panjab University. The thesis was on the Study of Ardhanarisvara in Indian Art, with special reference to Indian Sculpture. In 1999, she further did her Post Doctoral Degree from Goldsmiths College, University of London, under the Aegis of the Charles Wallace Fellowship, through the British Council.

Pande has been a reader at the Department of Fine Arts, Panjab University, Chandigarh from 1996 till 2000 and before that she was the Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

2000- till present: She is currently working as Art Consultant at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Pande is also the visiting faculty of DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Pande has curated many of the leading shows in the past and continues to do the same. Some of the recent highlights:

In 2015 and 2016: 'Art in the Metro', an ongoing initiative by India Habitat Centre and Delhi Metro Railway Corporation at Jor Bagh and Mandi House Metro Stations, New Delhi

In October 2014, Pande curated The Kama-Sutra : spirituality and erotism in Indian art at Pinacothèque de Paris. This was alongside Mr Marc Restellini, director of the Pinacothèque de Paris. The show was on till 10 January 2015.

In March 2014, Pande has been the guest curator for the Sculpture Gallery at the City Palace Museum, Udaipur. The show ‘Diving Gesture - The Magnificence of Mewar Spirituality’ was organised by the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), Udaipur, in association with UNESCO, New Delhi.

In 2011, Co curated the Delhi Photo Festival, a biennial photography festival that was organized by India Habitat Centre (IHC) and Nazar Foundation in Delhi

Curator of "India Awakens. Under the Banyan Tree" from November 2010 –February 2011

Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg near Wien, Austria. This was part of the emerging artists series by bringing in 34 selected artists.

• Voices and Images, Penguin Enterprise, November 2015. The Visual Arts Gallery, at the India Habitat Centre, has stood, in some ways, as a sentinel of visual culture for the last fifteen years. Showcasing some of the most seminal exhibitions of emerging as well as established artists from within India and abroad, establishing cross-cultural dialogues and, ultimately, putting the wind under the wings of numerous icons in contemporary art, the two volumes—Voices and Images—are a testimony to the plural culture and diversity of India’s creative spirit.
• Mukhwas Indian Food Through the Ages, Imprint, 2013
• Shringara – the many faces of Indian beauty, Year of publishing: 2011
• Leela – An Erotic Play of Verse and Art, Published by HarperCollins 2009
• Kama Sutra - The Quest for Love Published by Brijbasi Art Press 2008
• Ardhanarishvara the androgyne Published by Rupa & Co., 2005
• Masterpiece Of Indian Art Published by Lustre Press, Roli Books, 2004
• A Celebration of Love Article : Myriad Moods of Love, by Dr. Alka Pande - Published by Roli Books, 2004
• Indian Erotic Art - Published by Roli Books, 2002
• Folk Music & Musical Instruments of Punjab Dr. Alka Pande - Published by Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 2002
• Indian Erotica Dr. Alka Pande & Lance Dane - Published by Roli Books, 2002
• Kama Sutra Introduction by Dr. Alka Pande - Published by Roli Books, 1999

• http://www.indiahabitat.org/vag/page?view=vagpublications. 

In 2006, Pande was Awarded the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres - Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, bequeathed by the French government. In 2009, Dr Pande received the Australian Asia Council Special Award On 2015, Dr Pande was awarded the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi honours - in recognition of the distinguished contribution to art - with Amrita Sher-Gil Samman

On March 23, 2015 Dr. Alka Pande was awarded L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards 2015 under Design and Arts

http://www.alkapande.com/