Born in 1935 in Kerala, A. Ramachandran graduated with a degree in Malayalam Literature from Kerala University before pursuing a Diploma in Fine Arts and Crafts from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan. Ramachandran has had several solo shows, some of which include 'Recent Works' at Grosvenor Vadehra, London, in 2008; ‘Face to Face: Art Practice of A Ramachandran’ at the Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai and New York, in 2007-08; and ‘Illustrations of Gaudi’s Ocean’ at Nami Island, South Korea, in 2005. Three retrospective exhibitions of his work have been organized by Vadehra Art Gallery in 2004; by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, in 2003; and by Kumar Gallery at Art Heritage, New Delhi, and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 1983. Ramachandran has also participated in several group shows including 'Progressive to Altermodern' at Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 2009; 'From Everyday To The Imagined: Modern Indian Art' at the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, and the Museum of Art, Seoul, in 2007-08; the ‘Festival of India’ at Coups de Coeur, Geneva, in 1987; the Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil, in 1979; the Menton Biennale, France, in 1974; and the New Delhi Triennale, India, in 1968.
Ramachandran was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2005 and the Raja Ravi Verma Puraskar by the Government of Kerala in 2003. The artist lives and works in New Delhi and Kochi.
Arpana Caur, born 1954 has been exhibited since 1974 across the globe. Her solos apart from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore and Chennai have been held in galleries in London, Glasgow, Berlin, Amsterdam, Singapore, Munich, New York and in Stockholm and Copenhagen National Museum. Her work can be seen in Museums of Modern Art in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Dusseldorf, Singapore, Bradford, Stockholm, Hiroshima, Smithsonian Washington & Victoria and Albert Museum London. She has been extensively written about filmed, invited to various countries and awarded, including a gold medal in VIth International Triennele 1986 in Delhi. She was commissioned by Hiroshima Museum of Modern Art to execute a large work for its permanent collection for the 50th anniversary of the Holocaust in 1995, and by Bangalore city and the city of Hamburg to do large non-commercial murals in public spaces. Since 1981 she did three large non-commercial murals in Delhi. Today her paintings support several projects for the underprivileged, including free vocational training in the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature of which she along with her mother the renowned writer Ajeet Caur, is the Founder Member, a leprosy home in Ghaziabad, and ration projects for poor and old widows. Arpana Caur lives and works in New Delhi.
She was born as Tan Yuan in 1940 to Professor Tan Yun Shan and Mrs Tan Chen Nai-Wei in Santiniketan (West Bengal, India) where her father was Founder-Director of Cheena Bhavana (Institute of Chinese Studies) at Visva Bharati University. She was given the Indian name Chameli after the fragrant jasmine flower by the Nobel Laureate and university founder Rabindranath Tagore. She spent her formative years in Santiniketan and eventually moved to New Delhi after her marriage to the well-known Indian artist A Ramachandran. However, it is during the many years spent in this university-town that Chameli absorbed the teachings of Tagore and the Santiniketan environment. Here she obtained a Masters degree in Indian history and culture. She also studied art at Kala Bhavana (Department of Art) at Visva Bharati University.
She has held five exclusive shows including one with Paramjit Singh in New Delhi. She has also participated in a number of group shows. These include: ‘Delhi for Delhi’ (organized by People for Animals); ‘Gift for India’ (by Sahmat); ‘Special Millennium Show’ (Art Today); ‘Art Space 2000’ (Barn Gallery, England); ‘Lok Raag’ (Art Pilgrim); ‘Landscapes and Contemporary Indian Painting’ (Art Motif); ‘A Celebration of Color’ (Vadehra Art Gallery and Times of India); ‘Solitude’ and ‘Reclaiming the Lotus’ (Apparao Gallery); ‘Still Life – The Inscrutable Genre’ (Art Motif); ‘India on Canvas’ (exhibition and auction organized by Khushi); and ‘Celebrating Sara’ (Samukha Gallery, Chennai). Chameli has collaborated professionally with A Ramachandran on several projects such as the writing and illustration of numerous children’s picture books published in India, Japan and England. Her last major exhibition was held in 2005 at Vadehra Art Gallery.
C. Jagdish was born in Hyderabad in 1956. Having won his first award in paper sculpture at the All India Miniature Exhibition, C. Jagdish was given a grant scholarship to work at the renowned Garhi Studio in Delhi. Here he cultivated his sculpting technique and perfected his skill, leading to the British Council and Charles Wallace India traveling grant for study in Britain. In 1991, a singular honour was conferred on him, being offered the status of ‘artist in residence’ at the Lakeside Studio near Chicago. He was the first Indian to receive this distinction. Jagdish’s most noteworthy achievement was receiving the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation award in 1993, the largest grant offered to independent artists in the United States. Jagdish continues to work in three continents, with studios in India, Great Britain and the United States.
Gogi Saroj Pal was born in Neoli, UP in 1945. She studied for two years at the College of Art, Vanasthali, Rajasthan between 1961 and 1962. She then went to obtain a diploma in painting at the College of Art in Lucknow in 1967. Subsequently, she became a vocational student for postgraduate study in painting at the College of Art, Delhi. From 1969, Gogi Saroj Pal has been showing regularly and participating in artists' workshops and camps. She has had many solo shows including a solo in Jehangir art gallery in 1982, Graphic Prints Montreal, Canada in 1986 and also shows in London in 1993 and 1995.
She participated in the 12th Cleveland International Drawing Biennale, Middlebrough, UK in 1995 she has many awards and recognitions to her credit including the National Award,Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi in 1990 and fellowship from the Dept Of Culture, New Delhi from 1986 to 1988. She works in several media including oil, gouache, ceramics, weaving, graphics and installations.
Jogen Chowdhury was born in Daharpara Village, Faridpur, Bangladesh. Jogen's father Pramatnath Chowdhury was a Brahmin zamindar. Both his parents took interest in art, Jogen's father Pramatnath Chowdhury; painted several mythological scenes from the village theatres and also sculpted various Hindu icons. Where as his mother was an expert in Alpana drawings. 1939-47 Jogen Chowdhury lived in a village atmosphere. 1947 Just before partition Jogen and his father shifted to Calcutta. And after partition in 1948, the whole family shifted. Till 1951 the whole family stayed at the police department quarter of his uncle, where on the walls Jogen painted his first painting, Calcutta. 1951 The family shifted to another house in Saheednagar Colony, Dhakuria, Calcutta. 1962 Jogen Chowdhury was employed as Designer in the Handloom Board, Calcutta. 1967 Stayed in London for five months. 1968 He comes back to India from Paris. 1968-72 He worked as an Art-Designer, Madras Handloom Board, Madras. In 1970 he joined 'Calcutta Painters' group and in the same year, a collection of his poems were published, titled 'Hridoy Train Beje Othey'. In 1973-87, he was appointed as a Curator in the Art Gallery, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. 1975 Founder member, 'Gallery 26, Artists' Forum', New Delhi. 1986 He represented India in the 'Festival of Art', Bagdadh. In 1989,92 Jogen Chowdhury curated a show on Indian Art, by the Govt. of India and Bangladesh, Indian Council for Cultural Relation (I.C.C.R), Dhaka. 1990 He was one of the jury members at the International Exhb., Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. 1993 Jogen was in the jury, Lalit Kala Akademi, Bhubaneshwar. Lives and works in Santiniketan.
Born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Jyoti Bhatt was the founder member and Secretary, Baroda Group of Artists, Baroda in1956-66. Bhatt also founded Group 1890, a group of 12 artists in Bhavnagar. He learnt Printmaking from Pratt Institute and Pratt Graphic Art Center, New York under Fulbright & John D Rockfeller II Grants specializing in Graphics in 1964-66 and Academia Di Belle Arti, Naples, Italy under Italian Government Scholarship in 1961-62 after studing Painting and Printmaking from M.S.U. Baroda in 1950-56.
Some of his prominent solo have been 2007 'Parallels That Meet: Paintings, Prints, Photographs', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi; 2005 'Graphic Prints: An Overview Jyoti Bhatt', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi; 2004 'Printed Image: An Overview Retrospective', Exhibition of Graphic Prints, ABS Bayer Gallery, Vadodara; 2001 'In Conversation: Painting and Sketchbook', Gallery Espace, New Delhi; 1999 Centre for Photography, National Center for Policy Analysis and The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi; 1998 'Printed Image: An Overview Retrospective Exhibition of Graphic Prints 1961-98', Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai besides participations in many group exhibitions. Bhatt has Lifetime Achievement Award of Distinguished Photo Artist, Academy of Visual Media, New Delhi in 2005; Awarded Hon. Doctorate, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata in 2004; ‘Kalashri’, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi in 2001; Senior Fellowship, Ministry of Culture, Government of India in 1996; Gold Medal, International Print Biennale, Florence, Italy 1967.
The artist lives and works in Vadodara.
K.R.Subbanna was born in Karnataka in 1952. He did a diploma in Painting from the Govt.School of Art & Crafts in Davangere, Karnataka in 1974 and MFA from Delhi College of Art in 1995. Solo Shows at Alliance Francise de Delhi-1982, Tai in Gallery, Seoul, South Koera-1983, Galerie Bernanos, Paris, France, 1998, Spike Island, Bristol, UK. 2001. He received a Scholarship under Indo-Franch Cultural Exchange programme and was invited to study plate Lithography and other Printmaking Methods as well as to conduct Conducted a stone Lithography workshop at DET Rafiske Vaerksted Hjorring, Aalburg Konstskola (art college) Denmark in 1995, 1998, at ‘Kildevaeld’ for the members, pupils from local Art School, ‘Kunstskole’ Aalborg, Denmark, 2001, “KKV” (a professional printmaking Studio), Stockholm, Sweden, for the working artist and at Faroe Islands Lithography Workshop, for the public during open Studio weekend - 2001. He has participated in XI Triennial India and many national and international exhibitions including the Festival of India’s exhibition of contemporary Indian Printmaking in the U.S.A. He was awarded the State award by the Lalit Kala akademi in Karnataka in 1981 and the National award by the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi in 1984, Award “Charles Wallace India Trust” for residency in UK- 2000, besides many other prestigious awards. Presently he is the Vice Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi New Delhi and lives and works here.
Born in 1924 in Kerala, K.G. Subramanyan studied under the tutelage of Benode Behari Mukherjee, Nandalal Bose and Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan. He graduated from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University in 1948 after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the Presidency College in Chennai. In 1955, he received a British Council Research Fellowship to the Slade School of Art at the University of London. Since his graduation, Subramanyan’s work has been exhibited in over fifty solo shows, the most recent including those presented by Seagull Foundation for the Arts in collaboration with Nandan Gallery at Kala Bhavana, Kolkata, in 2009; ‘The Painted Platters’ at the Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2007; and ‘The Magic of Making’ at the Seagull Arts and Media Resource Centre, Kolkata, and Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
Subramanyan lives and works in Baroda.
Born in 1940 in Nizampur, Andhra Pradesh, K. Laxma Goud completed his Diploma in Drawing and Painting from the Government School of Art and Architecture, Hyderabad, in 1963; he then went on to study Mural Painting and Printmaking at the Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University, Baroda, from 1963 to 1965. In 2007, the exhibition, ‘Laxma Goud 40 Years: A Retrospective’ was organized by Aicon Gallery, New York. Other recent solo shows of Goud’s work include ‘Sculptures, Bronze and Terra-cottas’ at the Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2006; ‘Recent Terracotta, Ceramic, Bronze Sculptures’ at Gallery Threshold, New Delhi, and Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2006; and those held at Aicon Gallery, New York, in 2003; and Grey Art Gallery, New York, in 2001-02. Some of the noted group shows in which his works have been features are ‘From the Vault’ at Aicon Gallery, London and New York, in 2007; ‘17th Anniversary Show’ at Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata, in 2007; and ‘Back to the Future’ at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, in 2006. Goud’s work has also been a part of the São Paulo Biennale, Brazil, in 1977; and ‘Indian Art Tomorrow’ at the Philips Collection, Washington D.C., in 1986.
The artist lives and works in Hyderabad.
Born in Bombay, Maharashtra, P.Khemraj came from a family of artists and musicians. He was also a violinist and came to Delhi to learn sitar from Pandit Ravi Shankar. In 1974 he executed Air India Office Mural, New Delhi and in 1977 executed Pakistan International Airlines Offices, New Delhi. He did Diploma in Drawing and Painting, J.J. School of Art, Bombay in 1952-58 and studied at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris. In 1963, 64, 69 he had solo exhibitions at Galerie Mouffe, Paris, while in1963 he participated in Paris Biennale, Paris. In1964 he had a solo exhibition in Suedfrankreich, Biarritz and in1965 in Ankara. He has had many solos at places like Beirut, New Delhi, Bergerac, Hong Kong, Basel, Seoul. His works are in collection of National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, Amber Cinema, Jaipur, Air India Office, New Delhi, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi. He is the recipient of awards in 1956 by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 59, 69 National Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 1962 received French Govt. Scholarship to Paris, in 1962 President of India Gold Medal, Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar. A book entitled `Murmuring Cry of a Wounded String` by Ms. Aruna Bhowmick, was published centering his works.
Rabindra Nath Mondal, better known as Rabin Mondal, was born in 1929, in Kolkata. Rabin Mondal is an Indian artist who was a founding member of the Calcutta Painters. He lived and worked in relative obscurity until retrospective exhibitions of his work in Kolkata, New Delhi and Bombay brought him to India’s national attention in 2005. Rabin Mondal graduated in Commerce from Calcutta University in 1952. His first formal education in art was at the Indian College of Art and Draughtsmanship, Calcutta. He continued his artistic studies at the Ashutosh Museum, Calcutta University. [4]In 1964 Rabin and what is now known as the ‘Group of Eight’, (which consisted of Nikhil Biswas, Prokash Karmakar, Bijan Chowdhury, Gopal Sanyal, Bimal Banerjee, Mahim Rudra, Gunbritt Svensson and Mondal himself) formed the Calcutta Painters. Rabin has been honoured with various awards, including the Abanindra Puraskar in 2002. Rabin lives and works in Kolkata.
Born in Chennai in 1942, R.B. Bhaskaran studied advanced painting at the College of Arts and Crafts in Chennai and trained in fresco techniques at Bhanasthali Vidyapith College in Rajasthan, studied intaglio printmaking and ceramics at Ein Hod in Israel on a UNESCO scholarship and did post graduate studies at Portmouth Ploytechnic in the UK. He has held several solo shows in India, Israel, UK and Holland in addition to many group shows in India and Internationally. Bhaskaran has won the National Award in 1983, among many other awards and recognitions. He has traveled and worked in Israel, USA, UK and Holland. Seriously involved in art institutional activities he has served as the Secretary, Regional Centre, LKA, South India and the Principal, Govt. College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai. His works are in several private and public collections around the world. He lives and works in Chennai.
Born in Mysore (Karnataka) in 1941, he was awarded a National Scholarship by the Government College of Art, Chennai, and a National Award from the All lndia Lalitkala Academy in 1967. He is a founder member of the Cholamandal Artists' Village on the outskirts of Chennai where he lived and worked till 1988. He became famous for his Vriksha (tree of life) series, which evolved over nearly a decade, turning into the Tree of Life and Death. Vasudev has participated in several important group exhibitions in India and abroad (including the Paris Biennale, the Havana Biennale, India's National Gallery of Modern Art show in Washington, the festival of India in Tokyo and the ‘The New South -Contemporary Paintings and Sculpture from South India’ in London). In addition; he has held solo exhibitions in different Arts of India and the world (including Canada, the USA and Germany). Exhibitions of his drawings based on the late A K Ramanujan's poetry tided ‘Tribute to A K Ramanujan’ have been held in Bangalore (1995), Chennai (1997), Delhi (1998), London (2002) and Chicago (2003). Apart from this, he has executed a number of murals and been art director for two award winning Kannada films (Samskara and Vamsha Vriksha).He has won recognition for his work in the form of several prestigious awards, including those instituted by India's National Academy of Art, the State Academies of Art in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the Government of Karnataka. Open Eyed Dreams, Art Exhibition series II & III.
Sanat Kar was born in Calcutta in 1935. He joined the Government College of Art and Craft at Calcutta in 1950 after matriculation. In 1952, along with fellow-students Kar formed a group called ‘The Artists' Circle’. He graduated from the art college in 1955. He has participated in several National and International exhibitions since 1951; 25 years of Indian Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1972; Indian Print making Today, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay, 1985. The artist has had quite a number of solo exhibitions in Calcutta, New Delhi, Bombay and Santiniketan. His important collections can be found at National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; Punjab Museum, Chandigarh; Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Calcutta; Pratt Graphic Arts' Centre, New York. Held teaching jobs first at Calcutta Boy's School and then in 1978 at Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati in Santiniketan. Sanat Kar lives and works in Kolkata.
Sakti Burman was born in Kolkata, Sakti Burman graduated from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata in 1956. He studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. His works have been exhibited at the Grand Palais, Paris (1975, 1994) and the French Biennales of 1963, 1965 and 1967. The most recent showings have been at Maison de l'Unesco, organized by Unesco, Salles Miro, Paris; Art Alive, New Delhi and Aicon Gallery, New York. His works have been shown in museums in France including the Musee de Blois, the Musee de Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the Musee Denon and the Chalon-sur-Rhone. Sakti Burman lives and works in Paris.
Samir Aich was born in 1956. Aich graduated from Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata in 1978. Since 1980 he has had numerous group as well as solo shows all over India and abroad. His group shows include an exhibition in paris in 1996, ‘T3: Time, Trace and Transition’ presented by Open Windows Group at Artmosaic Gallery in Singapore in 2007, a group show ‘Young Faces in Contemporary Indian Art’ organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, Kolkata in 1988. Aich has also had numerous solo shows, including the one at tamarind art, new York in 2007, Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Kolkata, in 1994 and the one at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 1991. He lives and works in Kolkata.
Surya Prakash was born in Madhira, Andhra Pradesh in 1940. He studied at the Govt. College of Fine Arts and Architecture, Hyderabad, 1961. He studied painting in Hyderabad and worked under Ram Kumar at New Delhi. He has held several one man shows and has participated in the Paris Biennale in 1971, Five Indian Artists in 1981 at Mannheim, Germany, and Modern Indian Art at Kunstalle, Germany in 1982. He exhibited at Modern Indian Painting at the Hirshorn Museum, Washington in 1982, Indian Contemporary Art Exhibition at the Art Museum, Ginza, Tokyo in 1995 and ‘The New South’ exhibition in London. He has traveled extensively, has had a documentary film made on his life and work, and has even published a Book ‘A Journey Beyond Colours’. The All India Fine Arts Society, New Delhi, has awarded him the title of ‘Kala Vibhushan’. He lives and works in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
Sunil Das was born in 1939. He joined the Government College of Arts and Crafts , Calcutta in 1955. The Horse Series in charcoal fetched young Sunil the National Award in 1959 - he was still in college that time. He then won a French Government Scholarship to study at the Ecole National des Beaux Arts in Paris. Later he joined Government service for the Ministry of textiles and since then continued art and official work simultaneously holding important positions like Member of Purchase Committee for National Art Exhibition of 1979, and Miniature Format Exhibition 0f 1980, Jury for Hyderabad State Akademi, Committee member of 5th Triennale India in 1982 as also member of the General Council of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. Besides having been featured in several exhibitions, his works are also a part of the collections of renowned museums such as the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, the Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan, and the Ludwig Museum, Germany. He lives and works in Kolkata.
Thota Vaikuntam was born in Boorugupally, in Andhra Pradesh. He studied at the College of Fine Arts, Hyderabad and at the M. S. University in Baroda where he worked under the guidance of artist K.G. Subramanyan. In a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, he has won several awards like the National Award in 1993, Biennale Award from Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal in 1988. His paintings are a part of several renowned collections and his works have been exhibited widely. Over the past years, exhibitions of his works have been held in New York, London and Birmingham. He lives and works in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
Ved Nayar was born in 1933 and graduated from St. Stephen's College and College of Art, Delhi. Ved Nayar was awarded for his installation Mankind 2110 in 5th Triennale - India in 1982. He was given National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1980. Ved Nayar has organized/ participated in 56 group and solo shows in India and abroad including the shows such as-9thhInternational Exhibition of Graphic Art at Frenchen, Germany in 1990, ‘Colours Of The Earth’ organized by the British Council,and Contemporary Indian Art, in Yokohama , Japan. He was invited to participate in the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th Triennale- India. He worked as chief of design division, Trade Fair Authority of India from 1977to 1982 and designed many exhibitions in India and Abroad.