Lado Bai (b. 1954) is an early proponent of the Bhil art tradition and has worked closely with the celebrated modernist artist, Jagdish Swaminathan. Her works are in prominent institutional collections in India and abroad, including Bharat Bhavan, Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrhalya, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in India and the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the USA.
She was felicitated by the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh with the Shikhar Samman and Tulsidas Samaan in 2019 and 2018 respectively. She was the Ojas Art Master Artist awardee in 2017.
Under the tutelage of Swaminathan, Lado Bai evolved the traditional motifs to create her own signature style. She uses the classic filler pattern of Bhil art — the multi-coloured dots, and creates subtle wave-like formations with them to give the impression of rolling movement. Her birds, especially, appear to take on fluid forms in flight.
