To honour the legendary artist’s 100th birth anniversary, Emami Art, in collaboration with Seagull Books, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, and the KCC-Conservation Laboratory, is holding a significant research-based retrospective exhibition. The exhibition, from 5 April to 21 June, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., excluding Sundays, is at the ground-floor gallery of Emami Art.

The year 2024 signifies an extraordinary epoch in the annals of art commemorations, marking the 100th birth anniversary of several influential figures in modern Indian art. Among these notable individuals is Kalpathi Ganpathi Subramanyan, an artist whose unique perspectives on art and life resonated with his early involvement in the nationalist movement, in which Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore played prominent roles.

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The exhibition titled ‘One hundred years and counting: re-scripting KG Subramanyan’, has been organised exclusively by curator and cultural theorist Nancy Adajania. This wide-ranging and critical survey, the largest in eastern India after his death, will situate and re-assess the artist in the larger cultural scenario of postcolonial India’s unfolding modernism and affirm the continuing relevance of his practice.

“The centenary of an artist as wide-ranging in his concerns and expressions as KG Subramanyan offers us an opportunity to reflect on less evident aspects of his oeuvre that may have eluded sustained critical attention. In this exposition, I would like to present this seminal artist, pedagogue, crafts activist, and policy thinker through a shift of focus. In his work, he engaged both manifestly and in subtle ways with the legacies of Gandhi, Tagore, and Nehru,” said Nancy Adajania.

“The exhibition alongside focuses on Somnath Hore’s political work, including his terracottas commemorating the 1971 Bangladesh War and his children’s book The Talking Face, which critiques the 1975–1977 Emergency. Hore’s political philosophy is also explored through his children’s books and phantasmagorical toys. While presenting Subramanyan’s memorable reverse paintings on acrylic, marker pen, paper, and intimate postcard-size drawings, we will also be focusing on his work process through a considerable amount of archival material. For instance, the display of mock-ups of his children’s book, When Hanu Becomes Hanuman, handcrafted by the artist, as well as his preparatory sketches for the murals with textual and visual marginalia that reveal his ideological affinity for the Gandhian notion of an idealised village.

“This exhibition, part of KG Subramaniyan’s birth centenary celebration, aims to exhibit over two hundred artworks representing the versatile and multifaceted artist. It showcases Subramaniyan as a significant contributor to modern art practices in India after independence. Despite originating from Kerala and working primarily in western India, Subramanyan is considered Bengal’s own artist due to his education at Shantiniketan,” added Richa Agarwal, the CEO of Emami Art.

In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Subramanyan’s art was featured in over fifty solo exhibitions, receiving prestigious awards such as the Medallion of Honourable Mention (Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil) and the Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Award. In 2012, he received the Padma Vibhushan for his outstanding contribution to the arts. He remained dedicated to teaching until his retirement in 1989, following which he was appointed as a professor emeritus at Visva-Bharati. He bid farewell to the world in 2016, aged 92 years.

The artist’s work boasts considerable popularity in the contemporary art market. Buyers at auctions display unprecedented enthusiasm, leading to a substantial demand for his creations. Given the iconic nature of his art, it stands to reason that his work should be showcased extensively in galleries worldwide. As one of the most revered artists of this time, this exhibition is a fitting tribute to his remarkable talent, where his unique blend of tradition and innovation in contemporary artworks has left an indelible mark on human existence.