Art Gallery

Chandana Khan

Mrs Chandana Khan, secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, was born in 1954 in Bangladesh. Her father, who belongs to traditional Khan’s family, migrated to Kolkatha for professional excellence along with the family.

Along with her father’s migration to India, she turned into an Indian rather Bangladeshi to Bengali. She carried her childhood passion of painting as she grew. Though Chandana is an expert painter on all mediums, she is concentrating on oil paintings during the past decade. Though she joined the most powerful bureaucratic profession, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), she continued her passion for fine arts and painting.

Right from the childhood, Chandana was a bright student. She was awarded with the National Scholarship for her performance in the higher secondary studies. Completing her graduation in Arts, she was selected to the IAS in 1978. Later she married another bureaucrat Ajit Panja. The couple is blessed with a boy and they also adopted a girl when she was with Social Welfare Department as Secretary.

She also organised paintings exhibition many a time.

With all the responsibilities as a homemaker, mother, and a higher official, she pursued her academics with interest. In 1992-93, while she was discharging her duties as Collector, she did her post graduation course in Gender Development from University of East Asia, England.

Chandana underwent seven years of training before turning into a perfectionist in painting. She says ‘Art had become an integral part of my life’. In spite of all the pressures from work and home front, she dedicates at least half-an-hour regularly to her painting, which reflects her commitment to the art. A journey into women lives is considered to be one of the best paintings among those, which flew from her brush.

The story does not stop here. She is also an interesting writer. A compilation, The Light House, was brought out with 12 stories authored by Chandana in Bengali. Her scripts throw light more on human relations, reflecting societal problems.

She is a role model for many, with all her professional and avocation pressures in addition to the day-to-day issues, for her commitment to the passion she had chosen.