Dr. Beena Unnikrishnan

Kankali Trust for Arts & Cultural Economic Development

Founder, India

She is an Artpreneur, high profiled professional, artist and serial entrepreneur in India. Beena brings extensive experience of 28 years of diversified multi-functional arts and industries. An ardent believer in economic empowerment and financial independence of all artists, craftspeople and rural artisans, her successful career is testimony to the synergies that can be unleashed between art and mart.

She envisions fostering a culturally vibrant nation through accredited growth of Art and bringing financial freedom to all artists. She has curated her drive into a robust national campaign supported by art veterans and industry stalwarts and launched none other than by Union Cabinet Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari.

Under the aegis of his Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, this project for economically independent artists will develop Art & Craft based industries across the rural – urban artistic clusters, creating 1000 women-owned enterprises. Training and support programmes will be conducted in 700 districts of India to create a million entrepreneurial opportunities for women artists by Dec 2022.
She is also the recipient of the prestigious Senior Fellowship Award from the Government of India, Ministry of Culture, for her thesis on ‘Application of Cognitive Dynamics to Art in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients”. Her paintings are based on her research in art therapy, acknowledged as a powerful medium of holistic healing.

With an elaborate portfolio as an artist which includes the series of the ‘Chausat (64) Yoginis’, set of 64 paintings celebrating the power of Shakti, which is now set to be part of a noted Museum in India, and the Nakshatra series, set of 30 paintings on the cosmic constellations. Her exhibitions showcasing her artworks are held globally and are often completely sold out.

Upholding the credo of ‘Films for All,’ she is the founder and CEO of Iris Green Films, a Film Production company that focuses on films that address social concerns and proactively engage with society to catalyse social transformation. A visionary businesswoman, she is engaged in global trade across different continents.