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K H Ara
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Born in 1913 at Bolarum (near Hyderabad), Andhra Pradesh, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara did not receive any formal schooling or education in the field of fine arts. The son of a chauffeur, Ara spent the initial years of his life in his hometown, and only moved to Mumbai at the age of seven. Once there, he first made a living cleaning cars, and later joined the Salt Satyagraha movement that was led by Mahatma Gandhi during India's Independence struggle....
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Born in 1913 at Bolarum (near Hyderabad), Andhra Pradesh, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara did not receive any formal schooling or education in the field of fine arts. The son of a chauffeur, Ara spent the initial years of his life in his hometown, and only moved to Mumbai at the age of seven. Once there, he first made a living cleaning cars, and later joined the Salt Satyagraha movement that was led by Mahatma Gandhi during India's Independence struggle. He later worked as a car cleaner for a Japanese firm. He was only encouraged to paint as a profession later by an art critic from the Times of India, Rudy von Leyden, who saw the work he used to do in his spare time.
A founder member of the Progressive Artists' Group in Mumbai, K H Ara, in the critic Nissim Ezekiel's words, was the first contemporary Indian painter to meticulously use the female nude as a subject, not straying from the limits of naturalism, unlike colleagues like F N Souza. His work was rooted in the delight of ingenuity, focusing on the female nude, still life and human figure studies.
Ara was also part of the managing committee of the Bombay Art Society in its fledgling years, and served on the selection and judging committee of the Lalit Kala Academy. He was also associated with the Artist's Center at the heart of Mumbai's art district, where he spent the bulk of his time in his later years.
Ara held his first solo show in 1942, at the Chetana Restaurant in Bombay. Since then he has had several other one man and group shows, including many with the Progressive Artists’ Group from 1948 to 1955 in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Calcutta. He had three more solo exhibitions in Mumbai in 1952, 1954 and 1960, and took part in the inaugural show of the Pundole Art Gallery in 1963. In the same year, he exhibited his Black Nude series in Mumbai. In 1955, Ara held shows of his work in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. His paintings have also been shown in galleries in West Germany, Russia and Japan.
Amongst Ara's many honours is the prestigious Governor's Award for painting in 1944, and the Gold Medal from the Bombay Art Society for his canvas Two Jugs in 1952.
Ara passed away in Mumbai in 1985.
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Born
1914
Died
1985
Education
Certificate in Foundation Course, Ketkar Institute of Art, Mumbai
Exhibitions
Selected Posthumous Exhibitions
2013 'The Naked and the Nude:...
Selected Posthumous Exhibitions
2013 'The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Contemporary: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Art', prsented by Sakshi Gallery at The Park, Chennai
2011 'Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
2011 'Watermark II', Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai
2011 ‘Manifestations V', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2011 'Continuum', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'From Miniature to Modern: Traditions in Transition', Rob Dean Art, London in association with Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'The Progressives & Associates', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2010 ‘Manifestations IV', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2009 'Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art', Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
2007 'Still Life: Adaptation in 20th century Indian Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2004 ‘Manifestations III : Indian Art in the 20th Century’, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Manifestations II : Indian Art in the 20th Century’, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2001 'Changing Images: An Exhibition of 20th Century Indian Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
1997 ‘Indian Contemporary Art Post Independence’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1988 'A Tribute to Krishnaji Howlaji Ara', Prithivi Theatre Gallery, Mumbai
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1978 Artists’ Centre, Mumbai
1973 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1966 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1964 'Jasnne–e-Ara', Prince of Wales Museum, Key Gallery, Mumbai
1963 'Poem on Canvas', Taj Gallery and Byculla.
1963 ‘Black Nude Series’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1963 Held an Exhibition of his paintings, Exclusively in Aid of the National Defense Fund, Roop Gallery.
1962 'Nude Show', Taj Gallery, Mumbai
1961 One man show at Hyderabad.
1954,60 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1950 'Still Life', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1948 Two shows held in the provincial towns of Surat and Rander.
1947 Exhibition in Matunga, a Mumbai Suburb.
1944 Chetna Restaurant, organized by Kekoo Gandhi, Mumbai
1942 Bombay Art Society Salon in Rampart Row (now Artists’ Centre), Mumbai
Selected Group Exhibitions
1963 'Paintings Exhibition in aid of the National Defence Fund', Shridharni Gallery, New Delhi
1950 Calcutta Group-Progressive Artists Group, Joint Exhibition, Kolkata
1949-55 'Progressive Artist's Group', Prithvi Gallery, Mumbai; Shridharni Gallery, New Delhi; Baroda.
1948 Inaugural Exhibition Progressive Artist's Group, at Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
Honours and Awards
1984 Fellow from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1961 Sponsored by...
1984 Fellow from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1961 Sponsored by Lalit Kala Akademi, visited France as Guest of French Government and Visited Bulgaria as an Exchange Artist on Invitation of the Bulgarian Artists Association
1952 Gold Medal, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
1947 Founder Member, Progressive Artists Group, Mumbai
1944 Governor's Prize and Anuual Prize, Bombay Art Society’s Annual Exhibition, Mumbai
1942,39,38 Simla Art Society, Shimla
1941 Bombay Art Society’s Annual Exhibition, Mumbai
1939 Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
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