Pravina Shukla

Pravina Shukla is Provost Professor and Chair of the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University Bloomington, with additional affiliations in Anthropology, India Studies, Latin American Studies, and Apparel Merchandising. Her work bridges folk art, body art, and material culture across India, Brazil, and the United States.

• Education: Ph.D. (1998), M.A. (1994) from UCLA; B.A. (1992) from UC Berkeley

Shukla’s research investigates how dress and adornment function as social codes, particularly in India and Brazil. Her publications analyze sari symbolism, bodily identity in Afro-Brazilian traditions, and museum materiality. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, integrating folklore, anthropology, and visual studies.

Her recent publications (2015-2023) focus on sartorial narratives, folkloric continuity, and sacred iconography in Latin America. Earlier works (1998-2006) established foundational frameworks for dress as social positioning and cultural hybridity in postcolonial contexts.

• Scientific Awards: A.K. Coomaraswamy Book Prize (2010), Millia Davenport Publication Award (2009), and five Indiana University Trustees Teaching Awards (2002-2016)

As Director of the Folklore Institute and active public scholar, Shukla connects academic research with community engagement through museum collaborations and media interviews.