Swarna Chitrakar is a traditional scroll painter from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. Born in Naya village of Pingla block in Paschim Medinipur district, she belongs to a family of Patuas who practice a unique folk art of painting-cum-storytelling through songs. Swarna, now in her late forties, has been practicing the art since she was a child. She bagged the state-level award in 1994. Over the last two decades, she has been critically acclaimed across India and abroad. Till the summer of 2018, Swarna had visited the US five times and the UK twice, apart from France, Italy, Germany and Sweden to showcase her art skills, to collaborate with artists and to participate in residency programs. Her paintings are bought by connoisseurs and collectors.

This research project, Heritage Sensitive Intellectual Property and Marketing strategies: India (HIPAMS - INDIA), is funded by the British Academy's Sustainable Development Programme, supported under the UK Government's Global Challenges Research Fund 2018-2021.