Chapter 10: Denmark: Shefali Ranthe, Bangladeshi-born Artist, Activist, and Art Educator

Born in Bangladesh and raised in Denmark, Shefali Ranthe is a dynamic and powerful force for art and activism. She has made an impact internationally through her artwork and support of children and women. Her works are vibrant, colorful, and internationally prize-winning. Her work has been displayed from Beijing to Dubai, New York, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Barcelona Turkey, China, Korea, and Bangladesh. Her mother in Bangladesh passed away immediately after giving birth and her Danish adoptive mother left her immediately after she arrived in Denmark. These losses had an impact on her life and her art.

She enrolled in arts at university and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in esthetics and pedagogics. She moved to Dubai with her husband and two children and while she was an art teacher at the Sultan of Dubai’s School of Arts she had her first solo exhibitions. As a feminist statement, at one exhibition she presented paintings that were only 60 percent done to illustrate that women are not fully paid. Shefali studied in Ghana and later visited Tanzania.

She always looks into eyes that resembled the image of her mother – for hope. Shefali’s art revolves around passion for the good life – with joy, happiness, and love as centerpieces of the harmonious happy family. She works to empower women and supports street children in Denmark and Bangladesh. The core contention of her story revolves around her struggles between establishing her brand and being productive while doing good.