Anita Saran

Born in 1956, I am a painter, writer, and celebrated model with several published works to my credit including the short story ‘City of Victory’ narrated on BBC Radio 4. I have been widely written about in magazines and newspapers such as Karnataka dailies like Times of India and The Hindu and magazines like Femina, Society and Savvy.

My love for art began in school where I won all the painting competitions and also bagged second place in the national Shankar’s Painting Competition for Children.


As an adult, I was awarded the second prize in a nation-wide competition held by the Nehru Children’s Book Trust for my science fiction novella, ‘Aditya, the Underwater Boy’ and the prestigious David Ogilvy Award for excellence in Direct Response writing.

In my twenties and thirties, I was touted as ‘The Wild Child of Bangalore,’and captured the eye of Shobha De who placed me on the cover of her magazine – ‘Celebrity’ in 1987. My ‘eclectic wardrobe’ according to Celebrity magazine is inspired by the Folies Bergere and Vogue.

A self-taught artist, I began to shift my focus from writing award winning copy and fiction to painting ten years ago. Inspired by the female form and Nature, I held my first solo show- ‘The Naked Muse’ at Jav...

B.A. English Honours

The Naked Muse, Java City Studios, Bangalore, 1999

Past Forward: Anita Saran, Shanthi Road Gallery and Studio, Bangalore, 2021

Mostly Me, Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore, 2022