
Tara Shakti was born and raised in Madagascar among family artists. She started painting at age of 7 under her brother’s instructions.
She studied at the Drouot Formation in Paris, receiving the “Consultant spécialiste du marché de l’art” diploma in 2018, and the Accademia d’arte di Firenze diploma in 2017. Shakti currently resides and works outside of Paris, France.
Since her first show in 2009, Shakti’s work has been shown in major galleries and institutions throughout the world. Her work has been showcased in France at Château de Mirambeau in France (June 7 -July, 31, 2019), the Carrousel du Louvre (October 20-22, 2017) and on view at the Group Show ArtLigre (2009); In New York at the World Art Fair (June 1-30, 2017), and “Spiritual art Thérèse de Lisieux” (2014); Italy in Roma Group Show “Beauty and Elegance” (February 2017) and her native Madagascar at the Origin Africa exhibit (November 3-5, 2016) and the “Au-delà de l’apparence” (October 18-31, 2016).
Shakti is known for her works that deal with the struggle of empowerment and identity of women in patriarchal societies and the inner struggles of women through the centuries portrayed in transformative series Au-delà de l’apparence and Divine Comédie.
Recently, Shakti focused on the enslavement of women through seen and unseen chains and exertion of the self in the face of human bondage portrayed in her serie “Archives” work (2019-2020). This period of her work provokes thought on how women of all ages, nationalities and faiths have been forced into submissive, subservient and even subhuman roles in society to satisfy the cravings of a domineering male society. There were generations of women who sat in silence and endured these atrocities.
Shakti has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of her cultural achievements. Recently, Shakti has received the Mosaic 2019 exposé award against human trafficking in New York for her series Archives, the Zama Award in Paris (2019) and the Special Prize at Le Carrousel du Louvre in Paris (2017) with her alchemist work “Transmutation”.
“My goal is to raise awareness and ignite conversations about who women are, what they can do and what they will do for gender equality and global justice for all. As art remains one of ways to share thoughts, it is my engagement to stand up for nations of women united. It is a long and difficult journey but it can be done. It takes courage to effect changes in society, and sacrifices must be made. Courage can come from conversations that give people a platform to speak their mind.” – Tara Shakti