Lakshmi Venkatraman, independent writer on art and music, curator of art shows and art gallery promoter passed away this afternoon ( January 24).
Her family’s roots were deep in Mylapore and although, in recent years she had to move to its north fringe, she yearned to get back to her backyard.
Lakshmi wrote on art, artists and art events for many, many years for various publications, notably for The Hindu. She closely followed the national art scene and would be present at most launches of art exhibitions.
She also curated art shows and guided younger artists who needed a leg up.
Her grandfather was the well-known Justice P. R. Sundaram Iyer ( a road near Nageswara Rao Park is named after him). The family lived in the palatial Sri Baugh mansion near the Nageswara Rao Park until the time it moved to another sprawling residence on Eldams Road.
When Lakshmi got charge of the property here, a lovely art deco house, she turned it into an art gallery, Sri Parvati. The ground floor was also used for socials, concerts, meetings. Then came a time to sell off the property.
Lakshmi recently donated an apartment she owned in Alwarpet to a leading NGO, Sevalaya and moved to Royapettah to live there.
Very sad to learn that she has passed away. I first met her at meetings of Tamil Heritage Trust, then held at Thakkar Bapa Vidyalaya in T Nagar. Later I attended several of the programs she hosted at Sri Parvati in Eldams road, and several exhibitions of art also.