Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) A retrospective of the works by Indian contemporary pioneer K.K. Hebbar is being held at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

The exhibition, eighth in a series of retrospectives, is part of an initiative to showcase works by artists who have contributed to the evolution of contemporary art, the ministry of culture said in a statement Tuesday.

The exhibition, “An Artist’s Quest: K.K. Hebbar - A Retrospective”, opened Tuesday inaugurated by secretary, ministry of culture Jawhar Sircar and painter Kishen Khanna. It coincides with the birth centenary of the artist.

The showcase, curated by Rekha Rao and Rajani Prasanna, exhibits art from different stages of Hebbar’s development as an artist, from his early realistic and representational period to the abstract paintings of his later years.

Born in Karnataka in 1911, Hebbar graduated from Sir J.J. School of Art in 1938 and taught art at the school for a short period between 1940 and 1945.

He later went to the Academie Julian in Paris. During his stay in Europe, he was exposed to western art. It is on his return from Europe that Hebbar’s body of works began to take a definitive shape.

Hebbar was honoured with the Padma Shri Award 1961 and Padma Bhushan in 1989. He died in 1996 at the age of 85.

Hebbar’s range of genres which includes landscapes and metaphysical spaces, also explores figurative art - their interactions and conflicts, suffering and resilience.

He was particularly drawn to the simple rhythms of rural life.

The exhibition will be accompanied by screenings of documentary films, “A Tryst with K.K Hebbar, Artist and Innovator” and “K.K Hebbar - Palette to the Human Heat” at the NGMA.