Know Your City: Here’s Shereen Miller’s museum in Bengaluru that revived anamorphic art

The canvas before you is strangely distorted, the painted figure twisted across the medium as though viewed through a strange lens. But look at the flat canvas again through the reflection of a steel cylinder placed atop it – and suddenly it all makes sense. The twisted figures resolve perfectly into a horse, or a queen, or a beautiful landscape. This is achieved via anamorphic art — a method that blends careful planning and geometry with artistic talent. Anamorphic artworks by Shereen Miller are now on display at the Miller Museum of Anamorphic Art in Cooke Town. Miller, one of the great art pioneers of Bengaluru, has revived the dying anamorphic art and taken it across the world through dozens of exhibitions.

Many of Shereen Miller’s (right) conventional artworks give one the impression of seeing something in three dimensions instead of two. (Express Photo)

The museum is one of the younger of its kind in the city, with a collection unlike many others in the city. The collection is filled with Shereen Miller’s artistic exploration even beyond the field of anamorphic art. Her artistic efforts over the decades include more conventional art and sculptures in media such as teakwood. To a layman, even these seem unique — many of her conventional artworks give one the impression of seeing something in three dimensions instead of two. In other ways, too, it defies the conventional: rather than a self-portrait as so many artists create, visitors will find a large abstract sculpture in a corner. But look closer, and you’ll see a crystal sphere with Miller’s birth date and face visible.

Born in 1941 in Bengaluru’s Benson Town, Shereen Miller broke many a glass ceiling throughout her career. Her art achieved international acclaim in its time, with enthusiastic viewers including the Oba of Benin, Kuwaiti royalty, and even American presidents.

Her museum exhibition thoroughly documents her artistic evolution and global acclaim through decades of archived press coverage. Notably, two of her pieces are housed in the Presidential Libraries of US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Miller Museum of Anamorphic Art in Cooke Town.

The museum’s custodian is Shereen’s daughter, Cheryl Anita Miller. Cheryl Miller said, “At that time, to tell your parents you wanted to be an artist was a ‘no’. But life still took her on this incredible journey. This was an old family property, and my mother and I came here to design the museum, starting in 2022. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2023. This is a love letter from a mother and daughter to Bengaluru.”

Shereen had already started exploring art further in Kuwait, where her American husband, Paul, worked in the oil industry. On a trip to the USA, Shereen had read about an exhibition by two Dutch men who had gathered and exhibited centuries-old examples of anamorphic art. Cheryl said, “My mother had no books, no images, no manual on how it was done. But she was determined to figure it out.”

Miller has also taken a unique approach to museum design, engaging all five senses in a space that links the building’s gardens to the museum gallery. She explained, “You have music that you hear, the scent of sandalwood and jasmine, you’re seeing art, and you can touch nature, and you can taste the complimentary coffee.”

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The museum is open on Fridays and weekends from 11 am to 6 pm. Visitors can enter after purchasing a ticket for Rs 250, or Rs 200 for students with ID, and entry is free for children six years old or younger.