Surjit Akre is a distinguished Indian contemporary painter whose professional journey spans more than four decades of dedicated studio practice. She occupies a singular position in Indian art history as the first—and to date the only—Indian artist during the Soviet Union period to have completed Postgraduate specialization in Easel Painting from the prestigious Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), former USSR, one of the world’s most rigorous academies of classical fine arts. This rare Russian academic training endowed her with exceptional command over draughtsman ship, anatomy, tonal realism and compositional discipline, elements that continue to distinguish her mature artistic language. Working across oil on canvas, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, sanguine and pencil, Akre has evolved a deeply human figurative vocabulary rooted in autobiographical memory, feminine experience, social contradiction, emotional silence and philosophical reflection. Over the decades, she has presented more than eighty solo exhibitions and participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, camps and cultural forums in India and abroad. Her works are housed in important private and institutional collections, while her sustained role in fostering Indo-Russian cultural exchange has further established her as both an accomplished artist and a respected cultural interlocutor. SELECTED AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS & INTERNATIONAL HONOURS 2017 — International Award named after Nicholas Roerich in the nomination of Artistic Creativity in Visual Art, Government of Russia. 2009 — Pushkin Medal awarded by the President of the Russian Federation for contribution to Indo-Russian cultural friendship. 2008 — Friendship Medal from the Russian Centre for Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow, for strengthening Indo-Russian artistic relations. 2008 — Silver Medal for Generosity, K.A. Savitski Institute of Art, Penza City, Russia. 2008 — Honour Award from the Mayor of Penza City, Russia, for contribution to Indo-Russian Friendship. 1996–1998 — Senior Fellowship as Outstanding Artist, Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, New Delhi. 1989–1991 — Junior Fellowship as Outstanding Artist, Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, New Delhi. 1990 — AIFACS President of India Silver Plaque & Dr. M. S. Randhawa Memorial Cash Award, All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, New Delhi. 1987 — Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, Youth Festival, New Delhi. 1985 — Highly Commended Award, Annual Postgraduate Works Exhibition, St. Petersburg, USSR. 1983 — First Award, State Level Russian Language & Literature Contest among foreign students, St. Petersburg, USSR. 1980 — First Award, State Level Composition in Russian Language, St. Petersburg, USSR. 1973 — Women’s Polytechnic Exhibition Award, New Delhi. SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2026 — Bihar, Patna Museum, Retrospective “Quiet Stories: Half a Century” — 50 Years of Art by Surjit Akre (1975–2025) 2025 — India Habitat Centre, 85th Solo Show, Convention Foyer, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 2025 — Ahmedabad, Urmila art gallery, Kanoria Centre for Arts, 84th solo show, "Chitrakatha: Kahaniyon Ki Kalpana" Recent Paintings by Surjit Akre 2025 — Hyderabad, Chitramayee State Gallery of Art, Madhapur, “Hues of my Soul” 2024 — Bhopal, , Roopankar Museum of Fine Arts, 85th Solo Exhibition“Grace and Grit” Recent Paintings 2024 — Amritsar, Thakur Singh Art Gallery, “Shades of Punjab” 2024 —Delhi, AIFACS, “Visions of Time”81st Solo Exhibition of Paintings & Drawings 2023 — Chandigarh Museun and Art Gallery Recent Works Exhibition 2023 — Jaipur, Art Chill, Solo Exhibition 2019 — Mumbai, Jehangir Art Gallery Solo Show Recent Paintings 2019 — Saint. Petersburg. Sponsored by Roerich Family Museum Institute 2016 —Varanasi, Bharat Kala Bhavan sponsored by Banaras Hindu University. 2015 — Kolkata, Birla Academy of Art & Culture. 2014— Saint. Petersburg, Russia “Baramaha” Museum i. i. Brodskiy. 2014 — Solo Exhibition, Russian Centre of Science and Culture 2013 — Delhi, Chennai L.K.A.“I want to live”,Solo show 2012 — New Delhi. ICCR” Earthly Heaven” 2008 — Solo Exhibition, Penza Regional Art Gallery, Penza 2008 — Toronto, Canada. Living Art Centre. “Colours" 2004 — Solo Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi Galleries (80+ Solo Exhibitions Presented Across India and Abroad Since 1975)