About IMA
IMA is a registered organisation in India (2019) and in London(2008). The organisation was established with the core purpose of curating, promoting, and cultivating the best of contemporary Indian and international artistic talent, as well as the endangered and indigenous arts of the world. IMA means mother in the Manipuri language, and this carries the essence of the brand purpose which is to nurture and celebrate the colour, beauty and life-enhancing quality of artistic expression stemming from rich cultural traditions in India and worldwide. The authenticity of expression and the inherent potential of the artists are the guiding principles for selecting and promoting the artists deemed to be the past, present and future standard bearers for Indian and international art.
Our social purpose is to ensure the Indian cultural traditions and the endangered/indigenous arts of India are showcased to preserve this for future generations and to inspire the next generation of artists across all genres; significantly, in 2017, IMA Foundation was chosen tore present Indian artistic traditions at the World Humanities Conference hosted by UNESCO. A key feature of the art programme was the presentation of the endangered cultural roots and martial art-form of Thang-Ta which is a key pillar of Manipuri philosophy and was shown at the Opening and Closing ceremonies. This was acknowledged as “a unique cultural spectacle” by the international audience of world leaders. Our educational purpose is to help inspire and educate people across the world by promoting Indian cultural traditions which are deeply rooted in our cultural and philosophical knowledge and expressed across all artforms including: music, dance, poetry, art, sculpture and beyond. IMA is also philosophically and purposefully committed to enabling humankind to use creativity to find self-expression and heighten their energy, voice, and identity. Creativity is seen as ’a force for good’ which when harnessed helps humans to tap into their intuitive know-how and supports them to harmonise and heal their heart, mind, and soul. Integral to individual power is having internal cohesion which for the human system is the root basis and emotional soil from where ideas and possibilities can emerge for the benefit of individuals, their families, and communities.
Founder | Artist | Curator
radhabinod@imafoundation.com
As the IMA founder and Curator, Radha Binod Sharma has over 39-year track record as a contemporary artist who has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows across the globe. A multi-awarded artist he has received numerous international and national awards, including the prestigious Kanoria Foundation award, the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation award, the Charles Wallace award and the Delfina Foundation award. His own cultural roots stem from the remote Northeast states in India, namely Manipur and Tripura. His early life led him to observe “life onthe edge” the daily struggles of people to survive under crippling living conditions. In 1971, as a child he was also exposed to the Independence War of Bangladesh (Muktijuddho) and 1980 Tripura Massacre which had a profound effect on him as an artist. Despite the trauma and hardship that he endured he was encouraged by his parents to pursue his love of painting; in particular, by his mother who was a well-established and pioneering Manipuri classical dancer. He gained admission to India’s foremost university dedicated to the arts which is Kala-Bhawana, Viswa Bharati University, Santiniketan and went on to complete his Master’s in Fine Arts from the renowned Faculty of Fine Arts Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara.
His vision for IMA emerged in 2008 when he travelled back to India from his residence in London to focus on the art scene in India. The quality and the depth of work he saw along with a recognition of the difficulties facing artists led to the creation of IMA. Since 2008, he has curated numerous Exhibitions, Art Fairs, Art Seminars, Art Residencies, Art Workshops and Art Camps to showcase artistic talent and initiated multiple projects. These have been both live and online under the title of ANUBHAV (which means sensory experience) and Jñāna(Knowledge) to help uplift and engage people through a variety of creative endeavours. These projects have been carried out in schools and the poorer regions of India, as well as in indigenous and international locations.
Rani Bains
Co-Founder I Director
rani@imafoundation.com
Rani is a co-founder and director of IMA Foundation. She is a highly experienced business psychologist, leadership consultant and executive coach who has worked for over 25 years at a premier consultancy with senior leaders and executives in global FTSE 100 organisations. Her expertise lies in assessing and developing talent both in the business and creative fields. She has a deep expertise in the emerging fields of positive psychology and the neuroscience of optimal performance. Her coaching programme “Designing Destiny” incorporate sleading edge thinking on human development, creativity, and purposefulling and leading. She is one of the authors of the book entitled Meaning Inc -The Blueprint for Success in the 21st-century. The findings which emerged when researching the book helped to set the focus on helping leaders operate in a purpose driven way to create sustainable systems both for themselves and others. The pursuit of meaning and happiness is the central tenet of her professional work. This is also the basis for lecturing on an extensive basis to live audiences and through social media channels. Most recently she was invited to write a peer reviewed paper and deliver a speech to UNESCO (at the World Humanities Conference 2017) on the “The Art and Science of Human Flourishing” She is an ICF accredited coach and a chartered psychologist with a Masters in Clinical Psychology.