Ms. Ashrafi S. Bhagat. M.A., M. Phil. PH. D. is the Head, Department of Fine Arts, Stella Maris College. Chennai. She obtained her M.A. and M.Phil from the Department of Fine Arts of the same institution. In 2004 she completed her Ph.D. from the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda. Her thesis was titled, "A Critical Study of Modernity in the Art of South India with special reference to The Madras School". She has written exhibition catalogues on various artists. In April 2003, Oxford University Press published a book on nationally established Sculptors of Chennai titled "Sculptural Configurations: Retrospective Progressive". A research paper titled, Lineage of Abstraction within the Madras Art Movement was published in the book "The New Art History: Studies in Indian Art [eds.] Shivaji K. Pannikkar, Parul Mukherjee, Deepty Achar, New Delhi, 2003). She serves as an art critic for The Hindu, the national newspaper. She also writes on contemporary art scene in various art magazines.