Monday, July 9, 2012

An artist who blended traditional motifs with contemporary expressions

Keen to break away from the constraining academic shackles, K K Hebbar charted his own path and explored the true essence of creativity through India’s traditional and folk art forms albeit with a contemporary touch.

To begin with, especially during the Kerala period when K K Hebbar opted to paint lusty landscapes of the state, he was visibly influenced by the style of Amrita Sher Gill and Paul Gauguin. In fact, the works that he created during this particular period, covering almost a decade or do starting from 1946, is considered quite influential in the evolution of modern Indian art.

Critics agree that it has an important place from the point of view of Indian art history. After initial training in Mysore and then at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, from where he did a Diploma in Painting (1934-38), Hebbar worked as an art instructor there. The artist then visited Europe to study at the Academy Julian (Painting) and Ecole Estinne (Graphics), Paris.

Among several prestigious shows and events in which his work featured were the Venice Biennale, the Sao Paulo Biennale and the Tokyo Biennale, and a series of national exhibitions at Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), New Delhi (1956, 1957 and 1958).  He was nominated as the Chairman of LKA by the President of India (1980-84).

The artist won several awards like ‘Padma Bhushan’, Maharashtra State’s Gaurav Puraskar, Karnataka State Rayotsava Award, Karnataka LKA Award for Distinguished Artists, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Honorary D. Litt. from Mysore University, Fellowship, LKA, New Delhi, Padma shri, National Academy of Art Award for his work ‘Mahim Darga’, LKA, New Delhi, National Academy of Art Award for his work ‘Song of the Field’, LKA, New Delhi, National Academy of Art Award for his work ‘Rhythm’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, and the First Bombay State Art Award, Mumbai.

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