AN ANALYSIS OF VETERAN INDIAN ARTISTS’ CREATIONS; THROUGH VISUAL NARRATION
Shatrudhan Kumar Gupta 1
1 Research
Scholar (PhD), Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, Shanghai,
China
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ABSTRACT |
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Indian arts
have been deeply connected with roots since ancient times. Art created by
Indian artists is profoundly and significantly visualized through visual
narrative with various art mediums. This research study provides an
introduction of selected veteran Indian artists and examines their creative
practices and inspirations as well the research paper analyses selected
artists’ creations through visual narrations and attempts to give an
aesthetic understanding of the language of visuals. |
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Received 07 November 2024 Accepted 12 December 2024 Published 31 January 2025 Corresponding Author Shatrudhan Kumar Gupta, shatru_23nov@yahoo.com DOI 10.29121/granthaalayah.v13.i1.2025.5863 Funding: This research
received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial,
or not-for-profit sectors. Copyright: © 2025 The
Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License. With the
license CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download,
reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work
must be properly attributed to its author. |
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Keywords: Indian Art, Modern Indian Art, Modern
Indian Artists, Veteran Indian Artists, Visual Narration, Artwork |
1. INTRODUCTION
“Art practice is a unique process that involves creativity and imagination, creativity is an essential aspect in this process” (Rabindra Nath Tagore[1]).
Art is the expression of the inner feelings of human beings and it could be any medium of art forms. Art has been a part of human culture since the prehistorical period. The early examples of art include cave paintings, drawings, sculptures, and carvings. A very early example of art was discovered and found in the caves (central India) around 30000 BC in Bhimbetka at Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), India. These ancient artifacts provide insight into the early human’s lives, beliefs, and environments.
Throughout history, Indian paintings have always been at their peak of excellence and enriched with visual elements. The tale of Indian art includes ancient history, medieval periods, progress over the Mughal period, British rule, western art influences, and modern, contemporary Indian art. Undoubtedly, Indian art from every era has its own unique value. The modern art moments and artists carry the legacy of the enriched past of Indian tradition as well as incorporate modern aesthetics and visual aids into their creations, which make the artists both entangled with their cultural roots and also look into the future by adopting modern techniques and visual settings.
Ancient Indian art movements are recognized for portraying the socio-religious meanings of the era they belonged to; however, when examining today's modern and contemporary art scene, these movements are fuelled by cultural and societal influences in India. They serve as a critique of social injustices while also questioning the prevailing artistic norms. The modern and contemporary periods of art have seen changes, in artistic techniques, aesthetics, and subject matters as Indian artists embrace global trends to convey their distinct Indian identities. The beginning of the twentieth century marked the revival of traditional art forms and techniques through the ‘Bengal School of Art’. Subsequently, other artists (in Bombay) formed the ‘Progressive Artists Group (PAG)’ in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the year 1947 to challenge the norms and adopt modernism.
This research
study examines and emphasizes the creations of veteran Indian artists such as
Maqbool Fida Husain, A. Ramachandran, Gulammohammed
Sheikh, Anjolie Ela Menon, Manjit Bava, and Arpana Caur,
for their engagement with various themes through profoundly and significantly
visual narrations.
2. M. F. HUSAIN (1915-2011)
Maqbool Fida Husain (known as M. F. Husain) was born in Pandharpur,
Maharashtra, India in 1915. He began his artistic journey by painting hoardings
for Indian films in Bombay. He started his initial formal art training at the
‘Indore School of Art’ (Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India) under artist N. S.
Bendre's guidance, where he found his first guru (mentor) N. S. Bendre. After
spending a short time at the ‘Indore School of Art’, without completing his
diploma, then he moved to Bombay and enrolled in the pioneer fine art institute
‘Sir J. J. School of Arts’ in Bombay in 1934, but, due to financial
difficulties, he could not resume his study there. In 1936, he finally decided
to work as a full-time artist in Bombay. In the beginning, to survive, he
started to paint billboards of Indian feature films. During this time, he also
explored various kinds of work. His innovative and creative method of enlarging
images on billboards quickly gained attention. Later, in 1948, Maqbool Fida Husain joined the ‘Progressive Artists Group (PAG)’
which was founded by the eminent artist F. N. Souza.
During
the mid-twentieth century and after, M. F. Husain started painting with various
themes and concepts, and his artistic career shifted to a dynamic movement and
transformative period. He painted a lot through different themes, and he got
inspiration from rural and tribal lives; this transformation appears in his
works through simplicity and adaptability. His distinctive style of work is
deeply connected with those people's lives. Figure 2.
Sunny
Chandiramani[2] says “Maqbool Fida
Hussain’s artworks exude a timeless quality which bridges the past and present.
His forms honor sacred traditions while also energizing modern life. Hussain’s
creations craft a narrative that remains pertinent despite the changing times.
As a pivotal figure, he was instrumental in bringing India’s independent art to
both national and global attention”.
Maqbool Fida Husain painted diverse themes including Mother Teresa,
Mahatma Gandhi, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Horse series, and lives of rural and
urban India. He honestly captured the colors and spirit of Indian festivals and
the motifs of the Indian’s soul through his artworks. The eminent Indian art
writer and curator Sushma K. Bahl[3] says “The present work like his
most others is colorful and replete with motifs that are uniquely Indian. The
archetypal composition presents kaleidoscopic imagery of Indian women in their
various avatars, modern and ancient every day, and mythological. There is
‘Mother Teresa’ in her identifiable blue border ‘Sari’, a mother in a yellow
‘Sari’ with a child, and ‘Gopi’ with ‘Lord Krishna’ and his cow, all compressed
in a single frame. The composition with faces painted sans any features is
typical of his style and as evocative as can be”. Figure 1.
Figure 1
Figure 1 Artist: M. F.
Hussain, Title: Mother Teresa, Medium: Oil color on
Canvas, Size:
128x233 cm, Year: 1988, (Permanent Collection in the National Gallery of
Modern Art (NGMA) New Delhi, India). Source Author (Picture
taken in the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India in
2023). |
Figure 2
Figure 2 Artist: M. F.
Hussain, Title: Farmer’s Family, Medium: Oil color
on Canvas, Size: 150.5x102.5 cm, Year: 1960, (Permanent Collection in the
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) New Delhi, India). Source Author (Picture
taken in the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India in
2023). |
3.
A. RAMACHANDRAN
(1935-2024)
Achutan Ramachandran Nair, known as A. Ramachandran, is a well-known Indian
artist whose works are depictions of visual motifs of Indian classical art. He
was born in 1935 in Attingan, Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala (Kerala is a southwestern coastal state of India). He has completed his
graduation with a Master's degree from ‘Kerala University’ with a major in
‘Malayalam Literature’. In the year 1958, he moved to ‘Shantiniketan’ (a place
near Kolkata) to pursue his art education at ‘Vishva-Bharati University’ on a
scholarship to study ‘Kerala Mural Painting’. During his time in Shantiniketan,
he worked which was influenced by the Indian miniatures and Ajanta paintings,
and he also took inspiration from local scenes and landscapes. These influences
and inspirations can be seen in his works over the years. Figure
3 and Figure
4.
“An important
characteristic of artist A. Ramachandran’s work is, that he paints himself like
a narrative on the canvas so extensively that he creates mythology around his
self-portraits. Often there is a witty and mirthful touch to the various roles
that he has cast himself into like bird, fish, tortoise, bat, and other natural
and foetal forms. This sense of identification with the spirit of nature, with
the resurgence of life and its inexorable negation, manifested itself in many
of his watercolor, and oil paintings. Embedded in
these incarnations of the self is the artist’s symbolic use of his person to
express his unique world-view without being didactic and it also helps in
expressing the diverse moods of the artist. Over the years, A. Ramachandran has
created some of the most successful visual motifs to express his vision of
paradise as a performer within it and an observer standing in the margins”.[4] (The Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, India).
Artist A.
Ramachandran has received the prestigious award of the nation of India’s third
highest civilian honour ‘Padma Bhushan’ from the Government of India for his
distinctive contributions to the field of visual arts. He was elected a fellow
of Lalit Kala Akademy New Delhi in 2002 and he was
granted an honorary Doctorate by ‘Mahatma Gandhi University’, Kerala in 2013.
“The decorative
elements, dramatic ambiances, and myths have become an integral part of his
work along with his powerful lines, and greater and deep understanding of colors and forms”.[5] (Vadehra Art Gallery,
New Delhi, India).
Figure 3
Figure 3 Artist: A
Ramachandran, Title: Girl on the Swing, Medium: Oil color
on Canvas, Size: 162.5x132.5 cm, Year: 1977, Source www.artoframachandran.com. |
Figure 4
Figure 4 Artist: A
Ramachandran, Title: Spring Time in Undri Village,
Medium: Oil color on Canvas, Size: 195x240 cm, Year: 2018, Source www.vadehraart.com |
4. GULAMMOHAMMED SHEIKH (1937)
Gulammohammed Sheikh (G. M. Sheikh) is a renowned painter, art historian, and writer.
He was born in Saurashtra, Gujrat (a state in the western part of the country),
India in 1937. He earned his Master's degree majoring in ‘painting’ from the
‘Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University’ in Baroda (now Vadodara),
Gujrat, India in 1961. He was awarded the prestigious ‘Commonwealth
Scholarship’ from the ‘Royal College of Arts’ in London in the year 1966.
Later, he taught art history at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, and
subsequently, he became a professor of painting from the year 1982 to 1983.
Gulammohammed Sheikh was a ‘visiting artist’ at the ‘School of Art Institute of
Chicago’ in the United States of America (USA) in 1987, and a ‘visiting fellow’
at the ‘University of Delhi’ in New Delhi in 2004. He has also been an ‘artist
in residence’ at the Department of ‘South Asia Regional Studies’ at the
‘University of Pennsylvania’ in the year 2000, an ‘artist in residence’ at the
‘Civettela Ranieri Centre’, Umbertide,
Italy in 1998, and the ‘Montolvo Art Centre’,
California, United States of America in the year 2005.
He was awarded the prestigious art award
‘National Award’ by the ‘Lalit Kala Akademi’ in New
Delhi, the Indian Government eminent award ‘Padma Shri’ in the year 1983, and
‘Padma Bhushan’[6] in the year 2014, and other several significant recognitions.
He has actively participated and exhibited
in several prominent solo and group exhibitions entire the country and abroad.
His artworks are in the collection of famous museums in India and foreign
countries including the ‘National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Kiran Nader
Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi’, the ‘Peabody Essex Museum, Virginia, USA’,
the ‘Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK’, the ‘Fukuoka Asian Art Museum,
Fukuoka, Japan’ and many more, as well as numerous private collections
nationally and internationally.
The literary understanding and sensibility
of the artist Gulammohammed Sheikh is as fine as his
artistic sensibility, for he is also a distinguished Gujarati poet. Gulammohammed Sheikh says “There is a very significant
meaningful relationship between writing and painting. Our painting tradition
has been suffused with it. But now we have developed a purist’s mode where we
have separated the two. This is like saying that when you see you should shut
your ears, while you hear you should shut your eyes. You don’t. You can't.
Those who have studied perception will realize the correlation between the
senses”.[7]
Artist Gulammohammed
Sheikh's works are the depiction of the concept and idea of the dialogue, and
narration has been very central in his works that reflect the dynamic qualities
of his works. He explains “Sometimes, I put a picture on another
picture to show and depict the spiritual journey of the spirit on the landscape
of the faces. There is the element of mysticism and at the same time the device
of reversal is used in an almost surrealist mode, quizzical and explosive”. Figure 5; A, B).
According
to Professor R. Shiva Kumar,[8] “Gulammohammed Sheikh’s
oeuvre grows from a deep immersion into cultural narratives with his mastery of
painterly and sculptural forms. His work is rooted in a profound exploration of
cultural histories, mythologies, and artistic traditions transcending
conventional confines and charting a distinctive trajectory that interweaves
heritage and contemporary expression. Being an accomplished artist, poet, and
scholar has jointly shaped his work, with the 4 paintings he contributed to the
art exhibition ‘Place for People’ (1981) marking a first confluence. In
his artworks, he draws on elements from his memory, immediate surroundings, and
world art at large to create images that open up the passages between the
personal and the social, the present and the past, and the near and the
distant. With it, his artworks became, like the world he lived in, a palimpsest
of many temporalities and cultures that speak to us in multiple tongues”.
Artist Gulammohammed
Sheikh lives
and works between New Delhi and Vadodara, India.
Figure 5
Figure 5 (A, B), Artist: Gulammohammed Sheikh, Title: Majnum
in The Forest (Left
Figure), Tree of Sleep (Right Figure), Medium: Oil color
on Canvas, Source www.vadehraart.com. |
5. ANJOLIE ELA MENON (1940)
Artist Anjolie Ela Menon is a renowned
Indian painter and muralist, and she is known for her themed work that
incorporates various vibrant color palettes and is rendered with a variety of
art styles that come from different techniques and processes Figure 7. She was born in the year 1940 in Burnpur,
Bengal (now West Bengal), India.
Anjolie Ela Menon graduated from the
’University of Delhi’ with a major in ‘English Literature’. Her formal art
education started at the ‘Sir J. J. School of Arts’[9] in Bombay and later in Paris. She received a significant scholarship
from the French government in the year 1959, and she studied at the ‘Ecole Des
Beaux Arts’[10] in Paris from the year 1959 to 1961, where Anjolie Ela Menon had
exposure to the modern art movement in Europe.
She has represented India at several art
biennales in Paris, Algeria, and Sao Paulo, and her artworks hang in the
permanent collections in various prominent museums including the ‘National
Gallery of Modern Art’ in New Delhi India, Peabody Essex Museum in
Massachusetts, Chandigarh Museum in India, and Asian Art Museum of Fransisco.
Anjolie Ela Menon was awarded the country's highest civilian award ‘Padma Sri’
by the government of India in the year 2000.
Yamini Pathak
explains Anjolie
Ela Menon’s artworks and says “She brings to life
her immediate surroundings through her artworks by drawing up instances and
objects from daily life. One of India’s
great modern artists is Anjolie Ela Menon. She has created and painted for
almost 60 years of her life. Over the years the style and subjects of her
paintings have changed making it difficult to define her art as one particular
type. Yet art lovers around the world agree about the beauty of her paintings”.
(Yamini Pathak[11], March, 2017).
According to C. Uday Bhaskar “Anjolie Ela Menon had her
first solo art exhibition in the year 1958 in Delhi (New Delhi), at the time
renowned art critic Richard Bartholomew[12] (former
Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi) while
reviewing this debut predicted, ‘I do not doubt that before long this gifted
young woman will be joining the ranks of our very best painters’. These words
have been truly prophetic and Anjolie Ela Menon’s trajectory over the last five
decades is testimony to the evolution of an artist who has defied easy
classification and who has broken fresh ground with confident panache”.[13]
A
renowned curator and art critic Uma Prakash explains Anjolie Ela Menon's latest large-size mural[14] work titled
‘Celestial Being’ and says “Where the common folks were her protagonists,
again. Anjolie Ela Menon has created an image that evokes memories of the ‘Last
Supper’ with men and women seated on a long table, representing different parts
of India, as is evident by their attires. The most significant feature is the
Hindu ‘priest’ and a Muslim ‘maulvi’, who she deftly places at the two
heads of the table, making a delicate statement in today’s world”. (Uma Prakash[15], June 13th,
2020). Figure 6.
Artist Anjolie Ela Menon lives and works
in New Delhi, India.
Figure 6
Figure 6 Artist: Anjolie Ela
Menon (Artist with her work at her residence in New Delhi), Title: Celestial
Being, Medium: Mural, Size: 420x780 cm, Source www.thepunchmagazine.com.
|
Figure 7
Figure 7 Artist: Anjolie Ela
Menon, Title: Haveli, Medium: Oil color on Masonite
Board, Size: 120x90 cm, Year: 2020, Source www.aicon.art.com. |
6. MANJIT BAWA (1941-2008)
Artist Manjit Bawa was a modern Indian
artist who was well-known and specialized in figurative paintings. He loved and
preferred to use the medium of oil color on canvas for his art creations. He
was born in 1941 in Dhuri, Punjab, India.
Manjit Bawa did his fine arts degree at
the ‘College of Arts’, New Delhi between 1958-63, and he learned under
well-known Indian modern artists such as Somnath Hore[16], BC Sanyal[17], Dhanraj Bhagat[18], Abani Sen[19]. After completing his art studies at the ‘College of Arts’, New Delhi,
he went to England to study at ‘The London College of Communication’ (then
known as the London School of Printing), where he deeply studied painting and
silkscreen[20] printing from the years 1964 to 1971. During his study in London,
Manjit Bawa traveled to different countries like Spain and held his first
international solo exhibition there and in London too.
Manjit Bawa's work of style shows the
influences of ‘Rajput’[21] and ‘Pahari’ miniatures paintings in the form of the sensibility of his
figures and the calmness of the flat background. He uses more and more unusual
colors, and the forms he uses are very minimalistic, which leaves a lot of
empty spaces in his artworks, which is quite characteristic and a significant
part of his works. He created unique and vibrantly colored paintings, as well
as drawings, and sketches. Figure 8, Figure 9. An
independent art curator and art writer Ina Puri[22] describes
Manjit Bawa's artworks and says “A modernist master of the figurative genre,
Manjit Bawa was one of the few artists who took figuration right from the
outset. His focus was always on the expressive nature of paintings; the
translation of line and color into poetry and
freedom”.
Artist
Manjit Bawa worked in an important and distinguished post as a commissioner for
the ‘Bharat Bhawan’, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, and a jury member for
prestigious awards such as the ‘Sanskriti Awards’[23] and the
‘Kalidas Samman’[24]. His artworks
have been exhibited in many important institutions in India and foreign
countries including New York USA, London UK, Japan, Singapore, Amsterdam
Netherlands, and China.
Figure 8
Figure 8 Artist: Manjit Bawa,
Title: Krishna Eating the Fire, Medium: Oil color
on Canvas, Size: 180.5x246.5 cm, Year: 1980, (Collection in the Museum of Art &
Photography, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India), Source www.mapacademy.io. |
Figure 9
Figure 9 Artist: Manjit Bawa,
Title: Untitled (Durga), Medium: Oil color on
Canvas, Size: 172.7x205.8 cm, Year: 2004, Source
www.artnet.com. |
7. ARPANA CAUR (1954)
Artist Arpana Caur
was born in the year 1954 in New Delhi, India. She grew up as a ‘Sikh’[25] and she was heavily influenced by her Punjabi[26] heritage, culture, and her mother's writings, art, and music. Her
mother was a prominent author ‘Padmasri Ajeet Caur’.
Arpana Caur graduated with a master's degree from the
‘University of Delhi’, New Delhi in the major of ‘Literature’.
She was passionate about art when she was
young and she was mostly a self-taught artist. At an early young age, she made
a painting that was inspired by the creation of artist ‘Amrita Sher Gill’[27]. In the year 1974, Arpana Caur got an
opportunity to exhibit her artworks in some important group exhibitions that
were organized by the German embassy with eminent artists J. Swaminathan[28], Maqbool Fida Hussain, Paramjeet Singh[29], and many other renowned artists. In these exhibitions, her artworks
were very appreciated and gave her a lot of self-confidence to keep creating,
later in 1975, she started to make her solo exhibitions afterward Arpana Caur kept going forward in her artistic career.
New Delhi-based art writer and art curator
Uma Nair[30] describes and says about Arpana Caur's
artworks “What occurs is a quaint emotion of a tireless tenor, which celebrates the
abstracting quality of forms. The material quality of viscosity is worked in to
give an emotive assimilation. The discerning eye notes that this artist works
on the abacus of a legacy one that pays tribute to traditional art forms, as
well as folk idioms. Even if the female figure dominates and determines the
essence of her sensibility, this artist has a profound and rare understanding
of early 16th- 18th-century miniature paintings. The Pahari tradition
specifically serves as a comparison in terms of the construct. However, she
subverts the spatial distributions so that the resultant turmoil and strength
both exude naturally. Arpana Caur draws you into
the throes of cultural identities and iconic impressions”.
Artist Arpana Caur's
works are the depiction of human lives and narration of tales that are layered
with motives, myths, and stories. Figure 10, Figure 11.
An
independent art writer Ernst W Koelnsperger says “It
seems we realize motifs in Arpana Caur's works seemingly known from classic art. Scissors are a frequently
repeated symbol and remind us of the Fates, antique goddesses of destiny, who
cut the thread of life when time is due”. (Ernst W Koelnsperger[31], 2004, English
Translated by: Dr. Ernst Fuchs[32]).
Arpana Caur was
quite interested in folk art so she collaborated with ‘Worli’[33] and ‘Godna’[34] artists in the years 1999 to 2000. She is influenced by the ‘Pahari
Miniatures’[35] and ‘Punjabi Folk Art’ which is reflected in her artworks. The chief
curator of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA, New Delhi) Roobina
Karode[36] describes
Arpana Caur’s works and says “Pictorially, the large
canvases have the night as a shadow chasing the day, with a nuanced contrast of
darkness and illumination. Arpana's pictorial strategies mastered over the
years employ the saturated black as the ground, while the striking composition
uses an economy of visual elements with repetitive figures, simplified
iconography, and limited symbols to create an expressive subjectivity. Through
its restricted palette, the painting has acquired a serene composure suited to
visual contemplation”.
Arpana Caur was
an important member of the advisory committee of the National Gallery of Modern
Art (NGMA), Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), and Sahitya
Kala Parishad[37], New Delhi in the year 2001. She has received numerous significant and
prestigious art awards including the ‘6th International Triennale
Award’ in 1986, and the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the ‘Sikh Art and the
Film Foundation’ in New York in 2010. Her works are in the collection of
eminent museums in India and abroad. She lives and works in New Delhi, India.
Figure
10
Figure 10
Artist: Arpana Caur, Title: Changing Times, Medium:
Oil color on Canvas, Size: 147.3x157.5 cm, Year:
2002, Source www.artnet.com. |
Figure 11
Figure 11 Artist: Arpana Caur, Title: Day and Night, Medium: Oil color on Canvas, Size: 270x180 cm, Year: 2011,
(Collection in the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India), Source www.caurarpana.com. |
8.
CONCLUSION
India
is a vast country in art and culture and is deeply connected from east to west
and north to south. Throughout history, artists captured human emotions through
visual narrations in their creations with diverse mediums and forms.
This
research study examines the contribution of Indian veteran artists’ creations
and how effectively they contributed to taking cultural visions and aesthetics
into account in their art creations and creative practices. The research
emphasizes the importance of aesthetics in modern and contemporary art
practices in India and its impact on visual narratives. The research study
addresses artists' creative practices and demonstrates deep respect for their
rich cultural roots while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of traditions
through visual narrations.
The
works created by these selected artists are a testament to the upcoming
generations. In the present world, where changes are happening frequently and
technological advancement is often dominant, these selected artists’ creations
remind us of the sustainable power of cultural legacy and their works allow a
nuanced perspective and fill the gap between the past and present.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
None.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
None.
REFERENCES
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Ka Itihas, Roopshilp Prakashan, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
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(2012). 5000 Years of Indian
Art, Lustree Press, Roli Books.
Bhardwaj, V. (2015). Brihad Aadhunik Kala Kosh, Vani Prakashan.
Chandiramani, S. (2022). 10 Modernists
Who Changed the Face of Indian Art.
Delhi Art Gallery, (2015). Catalogue of Indian
Modern Art, 20-23 May 2015, Art-15, London.
Sakhlakar, R.V. (2021). Aadhunik Chitrakala Ka Itihas, Rajasthan
Hindi Granth Academy, Jaipur.
Singh, R. (2020). Narrative Approaches in Indian Contemporary Painting: An Analytical Study.
https://guildindia.com/Ramachandran/
https://indianculture.gov.in/paintings/other-portfolio/anjolie-ela-menon
https://laasyaart.com/achutan-a-ramachandran/
https://www.thehindu.com/children/Lifetime-in-art/article17375902.ece
[1] Rabindra Nath Tagore: (1861-1941, Kolkata, India) is
famous as a poet, thinker, and painter. He was the first non-European writer
awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1931. He wrote the national
anthem for both India and Bangladesh.
[2] Sunny Chandiramani is the resident modern Indian art
specialist at ‘Asta Guru’. She has been working at the auction house since
2013, and she has contributed to over 25 successful auctions since she joined.
[3] Sushma K. Bahl; is an eminent independent arts
consultant, writer, and curator of cultural projects. She lives and works in
New Delhi, the capital of India.
[4]
https://guildindia.com/Ramachandran/Index.htm.
[5]
https://www.vadehraart.com/artists/97-a.-ramachandran.
[6] Padma Bhushan & Padma Shri; The Padma Awards are
one of the highest civilian honors of India which is announced annually on the
evening of the Republic Day. The award seeks to recognize high achievements in
all fields of activities and disciplines where an element of public service is
involved. (www.padmaawards.gov.in).
[7] https://www.saffronart.com/artists/g-m-sheikh.
[8] R. Siva Kumar (Born 1956); is a well-known art historian,
art critic, and curator based in India. He has written over 15 books on modern
and contemporary Indian art and curated many outstanding exhibitions. He is a
professor of art history at Visva Bharti University, Shantiniketan, West
Bengal, India.
[9] J. J. School of Arts; (Jamsetjee
Jeejeebhoy School of Arts) is one of the pioneering institutes of fine arts
education in India, established in 1878 in Bombay.
[10] Ecole Des Beaux Arts; is a world-famous school of fine arts
in Paris that was founded in the year 1671.
[11] Yamini
Pathak wrote an article about Anjolie Ela
Menon's works in
the newspaper called The Hindu (print media,
India) in 2017 (https://www.thehindu.com/children/Lifetime-in-art/article17375902.ece).
[12] Richard Bartholomew (born in Tavoy,
Burma now Myanmar); a renowned art critic, poet, painter, and photographer was
known for his several important writings on modern Indian art.
[13]
https://indianculture.gov.in/paintings/other-portfolio/anjolie-ela-menon.
[14] Mural; a mural is an ancient form of artwork that consists
of painting directly onto a wall, ceiling surface, or surface.
[15] Uma Prakash; is a curator and art critic and is the India
correspondent for the Hong Kong-based art magazine ‘Asian Art News and World
Sculpture News’. She has been associated with the visual and performing arts in
India and abroad.
[16] Somnath Hore (1921-2006); a well-known Indian sculptor
and printmaker who was the recipient of the Indian civilian honor Padma
Bhushan.
[17] BC Sanyal (1902-2003); BC Sanyal’s full name is ‘Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal’, a famous Indian sculptor and
painter who was credited with bringing ‘modernism’ into Indian art.
[18] Dhanraj Bhagat (1917-1988); famous for his abstract
and figurative wood sculptures. He was awarded the Indian civilian honor, Padma
Shri.
[19] Abani Sen (1905-1972); an eminent art teacher and
master of modern Indian paintings, known for using several mediums including
oil and watercolor, crayons, and pencil. Abani Sen firmly believed that Indian
folk and traditional art were the powerhouse for art and artists.
[20] Silkscreen; is a medium of printing technique that
uses stencils for printing with ink or color on the surface.
[21] Rajput Miniatures; is popular for its lyrical and
romantic styles of art, and it developed in the 16th and early 17th
century in India.
[22] Ina Puri; is a well-known art writer, independent curator,
biographer, and art collector based in India.
[23] Sanskriti Award; to honor the
Indians who work in the field of art, performance, literature, and social work.
[24] Kalidas Samman; is a prestigious award in the field of art
that is presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh in India.
[25] Sikh; ‘Sikhism’, religion and philosophy founded in the
Punjab region in the late 15th century, its members are known as
Sikhs. According to the Sikh tradition, Sikhism was established by the ‘Guru
Nanak’ (1469-1539). (www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism).
[26] Punjab; is a state (province) of India that is located
northwestern part of the country. It has a rich cultural heritage, vibrant
traditions, and delicious cuisine.
[27] Amrita Sher Gill (1913-1941); is one of India’s most
celebrated modern artists. Her paintings are depictions of the Indian subjects
using traditional methods.
[28] J. Swaminathan (1928-1994); Jagdish Swaminathan
normally known as J. Swaminathan, was a leading Indian artist, painter, poet,
and writer, he is one of the most influential artists in India. He was the
founder and director of the ‘Roopankar Museum, Bharat
Bhawan’, Bhopal, India (1981-1990).
[29] Paramjeet Singh (1935); is a well-known Indian
painter, who lives and works in New Delhi, India.
[30] Uma Nair; is a renowned art writer and independent curator
based in New Delhi, India.
[31] Ernst W. Koelnsperger; an
independent art writer, studied comparative linguistics, literature, and art
history, and many texts and articles on contemporary Indian art.
[32] Dr. Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015); was a famous Austrian artist
and co-founder of the ‘School of Fantastic Realism’ in Vienna, Austria.
[33] Worli; is an ancient art form that originated from the
tribal communities of the state of Maharashtra (western part of India, capital:
Mumbai), reflecting the daily lives, rituals, and beliefs.
[34] Godna; Godna
paintings are a traditional form of local/indigenous art that originated in the
state of Chhattisgarh (capital: Raipur) and some regions of the Bihar state
(capital: Patna) from the tattooing tradition of the Gond tribes. Godna is the Hindi word that means ‘to tattoo’ or ‘to
pick’.
[35] Pahari Miniatures; is a style of miniature painting developed
in the Himalayas region in India and emerged in the 17th century
A.D.
[36] Roobina Karode;
is known as the curator, art critic, and educator in India. She has been the
director and chief curator of the Kiran Nader Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
since it opened in 2010.
[37] Sahitya Kala Parishad; is the cultural wing of the
government of New Delhi that was set up in 1968 for the promotion and
propagation of art and culture in New Delhi.
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