K.G. Subramanyan
Encyclopedia
K.G. Subramanyan is a contemporary Indian painter. One of most revered of living painters in India, often drawing comparison with Tyeb Mehta
and M.F. Husain, he is celebrated as much for his wide-ranging scholarship as for his visual satires.
at Presidency College, Madras http://www.contemporaryindianart.com/k_g__subramanyam.htm. During freedom struggle
he was actively involved and was known for his Gandhian ideology. He was even imprisoned and later banned from joining government colleges during the British Rule
. The turning point of his life, as an artist, came when he visited Santiniketan
to study in Kala Bhavan, the art faculty of Visva Bharati University, in the year 1944. Under the tutelage such pioneers of modern Indian art as Nandlal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee
and Ramkinkar Baij
, Subramanyan studied there till 1948.
In 1951 he became a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts
in M.S. University
in Baroda. He went to study briefly in London
at the Slade School of Art as a British Council
scholar in 1956. While having already gone back to Baroda as a professor in painting and continuing there, he did a short stint in New York
as a Rockefeller Fellow in 1966. In 1980, Subramanyan went back to Santiniketan to teach in his alma mater
Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, in his capacity as a professor in painting, which he continued till he retired in 1989. In the same year he was made a Professor Emeritus of Visva Bharati.
Subramanyan now stays in Baroda with his wife.
. His chief contribution as a theorist has been the rigorous re-contextualization of Western theories and practices in the Indian or Oriental context, as well pointing out the fundamental differences between the Western and Indian social realities, namely the problem of art/craft division of the Indian artistic traditions.
As an artist he is known as one of the most versatile practitioners, having done works, apart from painting, in the traditions of mural, various craft traditions of India, toy-making
, pottery
, illustration
& design
, terracotta sculpture. His paintings are noted for their inherent wit, ironies, satire and critical social commentaries.
Tyeb Mehta
Tayyabb Mehta was a noted Indian painter. He was part of the noted Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which included greats like F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F...
and M.F. Husain, he is celebrated as much for his wide-ranging scholarship as for his visual satires.
Life
Subramanyan was born in 1924 in a village in Kerala, India, http://www.contemporaryindianart.com/k_g__subramanyam.htm and initially studied economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Presidency College, Madras http://www.contemporaryindianart.com/k_g__subramanyam.htm. During freedom struggle
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
he was actively involved and was known for his Gandhian ideology. He was even imprisoned and later banned from joining government colleges during the British Rule
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. The turning point of his life, as an artist, came when he visited Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
to study in Kala Bhavan, the art faculty of Visva Bharati University, in the year 1944. Under the tutelage such pioneers of modern Indian art as Nandlal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee
Benode Behari Mukherjee
Binod Behari Mukherjee was an Indian artist from West Bengal state. Mukherjee was one of the pioneers of Indian modern art, as a painter and as a celebrated muralist...
and Ramkinkar Baij
Ramkinkar Baij
Ramkinkar Baij was an Indian Santhal sculptor, known as the Pioneer of Modern Indian Sculpture. He was one of the first Indian Adivasi artists to understand the language of modern Western art and use it in his sculptures...
, Subramanyan studied there till 1948.
In 1951 he became a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts
Faculty of Fine Arts
The Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU Baroda is one of the top three art colleges in India. It has a reputation for promoting a creative and individualist approach among its students, and has historically adhered to secularist, humanist, and modernist ideals....
in M.S. University
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, commonly referred as M. S. University , is a university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India...
in Baroda. He went to study briefly in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the Slade School of Art as a British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
scholar in 1956. While having already gone back to Baroda as a professor in painting and continuing there, he did a short stint in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as a Rockefeller Fellow in 1966. In 1980, Subramanyan went back to Santiniketan to teach in his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, in his capacity as a professor in painting, which he continued till he retired in 1989. In the same year he was made a Professor Emeritus of Visva Bharati.
Subramanyan now stays in Baroda with his wife.
Career & Contribution
Subramanyan is as revered as an artist as he is as a theoretician and art historianArt history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
. His chief contribution as a theorist has been the rigorous re-contextualization of Western theories and practices in the Indian or Oriental context, as well pointing out the fundamental differences between the Western and Indian social realities, namely the problem of art/craft division of the Indian artistic traditions.
As an artist he is known as one of the most versatile practitioners, having done works, apart from painting, in the traditions of mural, various craft traditions of India, toy-making
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
, pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
& design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, terracotta sculpture. His paintings are noted for their inherent wit, ironies, satire and critical social commentaries.
Honours & Awards
- Padma Shree in 1975.
- Kalidas SammanKalidas sammanThe Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language.The Kalidas Samman...
in 1981. - Honorory D. Litt. (Honoris Causa) from the Rabindra Bharati UniversityRabindra Bharati UniversityRabindra Bharati University is a university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore...
in 1992 - Made Fellow of Kerala Lalit Kala AkademiLalit Kala AkademiThe Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India's National Academy of Arts. It was an autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 by Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, both within and outside the country...
in 1993. - Honorory D. Litt. (Honoris Causa) from the Banaras Hindu UniversityBanaras Hindu UniversityBanaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
in 1997 - Manaviyam Ravi VarmaRavi VarmaThe name Ravi Varma refers to a number of persons from many royal families of Kerala, including many members of the Cochin Royal Family:* Maharaja Ravi Varma Kunjappan Thampuran, Maharaja of Cochin from 1943-1946* Raja Ravi Varma, painter and artist...
Award from Government of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, in 2001 - Kala Ratna or Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship from Lalit Kala AkademiLalit Kala AkademiThe Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India's National Academy of Arts. It was an autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 by Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, both within and outside the country...
, in 2005 - Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 2006