Drawing the line is the oldest form of visual artistic expression known to man, from prehistoriccave drawings onwards. Every culture in the world, across continents and timeframes,has a rich store of traditional art which is drawing-based. The 'power of the line' toenclose or open up space, create or suggest form, is almost infinite. And the artist usesdrawing in an infinite number of ways. Some might draw as practice, to strengthen or developtechnique, to keep private visual notes, as experimental and exploratory exercises; others makea drawing as a finished work in its own right.Rini Dhumal does all of the above. One only has to look through her sketchbooks to see this.Piles of sketchbooks yield a forest of pages covered with drawings that cross years andcontinents. There is history here, and geography, nature and culture. Drawing upon astorehouse of historical details, the splendours of her childhood, and anecdotal references fromvarious travels, she creates a vivid aesthetic in her art-making.Born 1948 in Bengal, Rini completed her Masters in Painting from M.S.University, Baroda.She has held over 25 solo shows including those at Delhi, Mumbai, Baroda, Ahmedabad andHyderabad in India and Paris, Chile, Germany and Spain overseas. Her work has beenexhibited in numerous group shows throughout India and aboard. She is a recipient ofResearch Scholarship and Senior Fellowship from Ministry of Human Resource, New Delhi aswell as a French Govt. Scholarship to study in Paris. The awards to her credit include theChancellors Gold Medal from Baroda; Governors Gold Medal from Calcutta; AIFACSAward; National Award of the Lalit Kala Academy and M. S. Randhawa Award- all three inNew Delhi. Rini lives and works in Baroda.