A feminist modern art maestro
The paintings of B Prabha capture the hopes and anguish of a woman making art in a newly independent India
Modern Indian Art
Untitled (Still Life)
This undated work is a still life painting by K H Ara (1914-1985). His artistic expressions were characterised by robust nudes and still lifes, marked by a life-affirming positivity and zeal. He was a self-taught artist who ran away from home to pursue his artistic career in Bombay. Born in 1913 in Andhra Pradesh, KH… Read more »
Madras Talkies – Reading List
Titles from the Sarmaya library that will draw you further into the heart of Tamil Nadu’s culture through music, architecture, photography and art
Divine Light
‘Divine Light’ by Vishwanath Nageshkar depicts the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. In the composition, Nageshkar uses a mellow color palette, wherein the figure of Christ itself is painted green – biblically this was meant to be a scene of redemption. Yet due to the gruesome nature of Christ’s death, this scene has a… Read more »
Untitled (Portrait of a nude woman)
KH Ara acquired a somewhat avuncular air in the art scene of 1940s-50s Mumbai. That was rudely challenged when he got into nudes. And he got into nudes in a big way—the word ‘obsessive’ has been used to describe this sudden fascination. But Ara’s nudes came in for a lot of criticism. Compared to those… Read more »
Untitled
Kalal Laxma Goud is a master of many mediums. He works with drawings, etchings, silkscreen, watercolours and gouache, as well as clay, ceramic, terracotta and bronze sculptures. He took to printmaking shortly after he graduated from Baroda School, and says he draws immense pleasure from the medium, the tools and especially the drawing of the… Read more »
Untitled
K Laxma Goud is a master of many mediums. He works with drawings, etchings, silkscreen, watercolours and gouache, as well as clay, ceramic, terracotta and bronze sculptures. He took to printmaking shortly after he graduated from Baroda School, and says he draws immense pleasure from the medium, the tools and especially the drawing of the… Read more »
Untitled (two women)
This untitled portrait of two ethnically dressed women engaging in conversation is very much in keeping with Kalal Laxma Goud’s typical subject matter and style of painting. Born in 1940 in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, the artist began his career under the tutelage of KG Subramanyam in Baroda. Early on in his career, Goud was known… Read more »
Untitled (Portrait of a Lady)
This untitled portrait of a lady is very much in keeping with Kalal Laxma Goud’s typical subject matter and style of painting. Born in 1940 in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, the artist began his career under the tutelage of KG Subramanyam in Baroda. Early on in his career, Goud was known for his erotic figures, which… Read more »
Untitled (A Flower pot)
This painting is among the early works of Jamini Roy. Trained in European painting styles in the Government School of Bengal, Roy began his career with realistic oil portraits and post-impressionist landscapes. He produced several paintings in this style from 1905 to 1930s, but his later indigenous bent oeuvre overshadows them. One such painting in… Read more »
Crucified Jesus
Jamini Roy was probably the first artist to depict Christ in an Indian vocabulary. He was looking to test the effectiveness of his bold line and flat colour technique on a subject which was remote from his personal life. Being an orthodox Hindu who had never read the old or new testaments, Roy saw the… Read more »