73 year old Vidya Devi Soni lives in Bhilwara, Rajasthan and started painting at the age of six, with the guidance of her parents. She is an expert at Mandana, an art form from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, traditionally wall and floor paintings that were used to protect the home, welcome the gods into it, and signal celebration on festive occasions. Vidya Devi transfers the traditional techniques, themes and motifs of Mandana to paper, using natural colours, giving new life to this rich, ancient art form.
