K K Hebbar indeed was one of the doyens of Indian art of his era who not
only made a name for himself, but also gave a new direction to the
broader art scene with his vision and artistic skills.
In spite of having been trained in the Western tradition, Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar’s work remained soaked in the Indian folk traditions. His idiom was a unique mix of both impressionistic & expressionistic techniques. An acute social concern prompted him to focus on themes like poverty and hunger.
To widen his understanding of art, he even took lessons in the dance form Kathak for a couple of year under Pandit Sunder Prasad which infused an element of rhythm into his drawings and paintings that captured its graceful gestures with precision and unmatched meticulousness.
To mark the legendary artist’s birth centenary, NGMA held a major retrospective of his works last year. Apart from showcasing his milestone paintings during the event, talks and workshops were also conducted. A documentary entitled ‘A Tryst With KK Hebbar - An Artist And Innovator’, conceptualized and directed by Mani M Mani was also screened.
Expressing his sentiments, the filmmaker was quoted as saying, “It’s an honor to have made my debut film on the legendary artist. This is a tribute to the greatness of an artist whose works continue even after decades to shape the contours of contemporary art worldwide. Hebbar lived life on his own terms and we have captured the essence of it.”
The 30-minute film done over four months was based on references from newspaper clippings and interviews, leading to compilation of useful information about him. The fact that how the artist relished art forms such as kathak and yakshagana and the way they influenced his practice were covered among other aspects and facets of his multi-faceted personality. Captivating characters from the ancient Yakshagana tradition, the colorful open-air drama had indeed cast a spell on him.
In spite of having been trained in the Western tradition, Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar’s work remained soaked in the Indian folk traditions. His idiom was a unique mix of both impressionistic & expressionistic techniques. An acute social concern prompted him to focus on themes like poverty and hunger.
To widen his understanding of art, he even took lessons in the dance form Kathak for a couple of year under Pandit Sunder Prasad which infused an element of rhythm into his drawings and paintings that captured its graceful gestures with precision and unmatched meticulousness.
To mark the legendary artist’s birth centenary, NGMA held a major retrospective of his works last year. Apart from showcasing his milestone paintings during the event, talks and workshops were also conducted. A documentary entitled ‘A Tryst With KK Hebbar - An Artist And Innovator’, conceptualized and directed by Mani M Mani was also screened.
Expressing his sentiments, the filmmaker was quoted as saying, “It’s an honor to have made my debut film on the legendary artist. This is a tribute to the greatness of an artist whose works continue even after decades to shape the contours of contemporary art worldwide. Hebbar lived life on his own terms and we have captured the essence of it.”
The 30-minute film done over four months was based on references from newspaper clippings and interviews, leading to compilation of useful information about him. The fact that how the artist relished art forms such as kathak and yakshagana and the way they influenced his practice were covered among other aspects and facets of his multi-faceted personality. Captivating characters from the ancient Yakshagana tradition, the colorful open-air drama had indeed cast a spell on him.
No comments:
Post a Comment