Maqbool Fida Husain, a legendary artist who brought
immense fame to his homeland, India on an international platform was born in
1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. During his teenage, while learning
Calligraphy, he developed interest in art and decided to pursue it through
enrolling in J J School of Art, Mumbai. To support himself financially he
started painting Bollywood hoardings and made toys for a toy company. To break
the longstanding ideas of Bengal School of Art, Hussain along with artists S HRaza and Souza established Progressive Artists’ Group, during the partition of
India and Pakistan in 1947, which encouraged artists to adopt modernism and
embrace new ideas. This movement changed the face of art in India
significantly. He exhibited his works across the world and attained renown very
early in his career. Hussain uses cubist style to paint, with most of his
subjects chosen from Indian epics. However, he was often embroiled in controversies
for portraying disrobed ‘Bharat Mata’ and Hindu Gods & Goddesses in his canvases.
He was eventually forced to leave the country and seek asylum in Qatar and
London. His paintings have been sold for big bucks,unlike any other artist.
Apart from painting, he had directed many films, some of which won him awards.
He had been bestowed with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Raja
Ravi Verma Award for his massive contribution towards Indian Art. He breathed
his last in 2011 in London, but the legacy he left behind has indeed changed
the face of India in the field of art.
Artist ManuParekh’s oeuvre reflects the relationship between man & nature and the many
emotions of the artist himself as a subject. Born in 1939 in Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, Parekh went to Sir J.J School of Art to study Diploma in Drawing and
Painting. After a brief stint in acting and stage designing in theatre, he worked
as an art designer in Mumbai. In 1965, he moved to Kolkata and was influenced
by the philosophies and perceptions of Rabindranath Tagore and Ram KinkerBaij,
which can be vividly seen in his works. His visit to Varanasi influenced him to
paint vibrant landscapes of Banaras reflecting hope, faith and a desire to revisit
the place. His art ranges from Landscapes to abstract, heads, animals etc., all
beaming with scintillating shades. With career spanning 60 years, artist Parekh
has been presented with many awards including a Padma Shri. He has featured his
work extensively across the globe.
Sayed Haider
Raza who is noted as one of the most illustrious artists of India, was born in
1922. Having studied painting from Nagpur School of Art and later from Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay, where he co-founded Progressive
Artists’ Group, his interest in abstract art drew him towards his further
studies in the Ecole nationalesuperieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris. He later
settled in France and pursued his career in modern art. Initially, he filled
his canvases with expressionist landscapes of French villages, however with
time his artform became more abstract and colourful. He later got influenced by
Indian scientific concepts of space, time, energy and started using ‘Bindu’, the dot and several geometric
patterns relevant to Hindu religion in his artworks. During this time(1970s), he
moved back to India. He also served as a visiting lecturer at the University of
California, Berkeley, USA. Raza was bestowed with one of India’s highest
civilian awards, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He was also beingconferred
with the prestigious Commandeur
de la Légiond’Honneur, from French Government. He
founded Raza Foundation, who gives away annual awards to the young artists in
India. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 94.
Nabibakhsh Mansoori’s artwork emanates sparklinghues
that can make an onlooker freeze before the canvas in awe.Being born in Idar, Gujarat
in 1966, his canvas reflects his childhood memories of
nature, folklores and people. He obtained a Diploma in Fine Arts from C.N. College of Fine Arts, Ahmedabad and a PG
Diploma in Fine arts from Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S University, Baroda.With
numerous points of focus, Mansoori’s works highlights histrionic use of light
with bold and bright colours, usually in oils or acrylics. He has exhibited his
works in several solo and group shows across the country. He has received
several awards and honours including Gujarat state Lalit Kala Academy Award.He
lives in Ahmedabad.
