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Saffronart | Evening Sale
K G Subramanyan, who passed away in June 2016, was one of India’s leading modern artists,
creating a rich and deeply engaging body of work, which began in the post-Independence space
of Indian art. As a teacher at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Baroda, he had an abiding influence on
generations of Indian artists. Throughout his prolific career, he experimented with a diverse array
of mediums and practices, including paper, gouache and oils, wood, terracotta and textiles.
THE CIRCLE
To stoop down and kiss the earth.
Between the skyward sprouts
And the leaves that fall to earth
Revolves the endless tale
Of birth and life and death.
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IN MEMORIAM
K G SUBRAMANYAN
15 FEBRUARY 1924 ‒ 29 JUNE 2016
1924
•
Born in Kuthuparamba, Kerala
1942-43
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Completed BA (Honours) in Economics at Presidency College, Chennai
1944-48
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Attended Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan
1951
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Became a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Baroda University
1955
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First solo exhibition at Delhi Silpi Chakra, Freemason’s Hall, New Delhi
1955-56
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Attended the British Council Research Fellowship at Slade School of Art, University of
London
1956
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Solo exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1957
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Won the Governor’s Prize, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
1959
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Won the Bombay Art Society Award, Mumbai
1961
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Participated in the Sao Paolo Biennale; Received the Maharashtra State Award
1965
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Won the National Award for ‘Studio’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1966
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Awarded the J D Rockefeller III Fund Fellowship, New York
1968
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Won the Gold Medal at the First International Triennale, New Delhi
1975
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Received the Padma Shri from the Government of India
1977-78
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Made Visiting Fellow at Kala Bhavan, Visvabharati, Santiniketan
1980
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Received the Kalidas Sanman
1981
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First
Retrospective
at the Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
K G Subramanyan
Image courtesy of the artist’s estate