SUDHIR KHASTGIR

BEGINNINGS

He was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh. 1929 Met Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore in Jorasanko, Calcutta. 1929 Under took to see India with the serious interest of an artist. Saw places such as Konark, Elephanta and Mahabalipuram. 1930 Visited South India and Sri Lanka. 1937 Proceeded to England where he did a short course in Bronze Casting. 1937 Visited Eric Gill, a sculptor Europe. Also saw Art Schools, Public School Art Deptt., Museums and Art Galleries. Spent few months in Italy, Austria, Germany and France. Was inspired by paintings of Van Gogh, his themes being mainly cheerful dancers, santhals, Palash flowers, Amaltash trees. By 1947 he became a well-known social figure in Doon and Mussourie. In 1950s did voluminous work. 1960 Floods from the river Gomti, left his mind under a great physiological and psychological strain. This made him recede into a shell and communicate less. 1961 He built a house in Shantiniketan called Palash and moved there.

EDUCATION

• 1925 Passed Matric Examination. 1925 Joined bachelors course, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. 1929 Graduated under Nandalal Bose, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. 1937 Studied bronze casting, London. 1946 Wrote short articles for the Modern Review, the Orient Illustrated Weekly, the Illustrated Weekly of India.

EXHIBITIONS

• 1934 Group exhb. of works with students of Doon School at the India Society in England.
• 1937 Solo exhb., India House, London.
• 1939 Solo exhb. in Allahabad.
• 1942 Solo exhb., organised by Punjab Literacy League, Lahore.
• 1943 Solo exhb., Young Mens Christian Association Hall, New Delhi.
• 1944 Exhb., organised by Young Mens Christian Association, Massey Hall.
• 1945 Solo exhb., Cama Oriental Institute Hall, Bombay.
• 1946 Exhb., Bombay Art Society Salon, Bombay.
• 1947 Solo exhb., organised by Royal Indian Society, Imperial Institute, South Kensington.
• 1948 Solo exhb., Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan.
• 1952 Solo exhb., Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta.
• 1953 Solo exhb., Mussourie.
• 1953 Solo exhb., Academy Salon, India Museum, Calcutta.
• 1953 Solo exhb., Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi.
• 1954 Solo exhb., Burnpore, West Bengal.
• 1954 Participated in the exhb. of Modern Indian Sculptures, New Delhi.
• 1954 Combine exhb. with Prabhat Niyogi and Benode Beh

COLLECTION

• Lucknow University, Lucknow. Indian Embassy, Kartoon. All-India Radio, Calcutta. Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Govt. House. Nevielle Tuli, Bombay. Sanskrit University Indian Embassy, Kartoon All-India Radio, Kolkata. Governor House, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. Allahabad Municipal Museum, Allahabad. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.

AWARDS

• 1937 Traveling Fellowship offered by the Deutsch Academy of Munich.Fellow, Royal Society of Art, London. 1958 Awarded Padmashree, Govt. of India.

STYLE

Sudhir Khastgir won many laurels for his artistic achievements and had untiring quest for self-expression. He was unique because he accepted the `return to nature` philosophy of Shantiniketan without accepting its style.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1933 Art Teacher, Scindia School, Gwalior. 1936-56 Art Teacher, Doon School, Dehradun. 1956 Invited by the Utter Pradesh Authorities to run the Govt. Art College, Lucknow. 1956 Principal, Govt. College of Art and Culture, Lucknow. 1963 Was invited by Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharat, Justice Sudhir Ranjan Das to take over as principal of Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.

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