• Ram Kumar

    Ram Kumar was born in Shimla, Himanchal Pradesh in the year 1924.

    Ram Kumar is a contemporary Indian artist who has been described as one of India's foremost abstract painters. He paints abstract landscapes, usually in oil or acrylic. He is also an author, writing fiction in Hindi.

    The human condition is the main concern of the artist manifested in his early works by the alienated individual within the city. Later the city, specifically Varanasi with its dilapidated, crammed houses, conveys a sense of hopelessness. Increasingly abstract works done in sweeping strokes of paint evoke both exultation of natural spaces and more recently an incipient violence within human habitation.

  • Education

    • 1949-52 Studied Painting under Andre Lhote and Fernard Leger, Paris
    • 1946 M. A. in Economics from the St. Stephens College, Delhi University, New Delhi
    • 1945 SharadaUkil School of Art, New Delhi

  • Exibitions

    Selected Solo Exhibitions

    • 2014 'Ramkumar Drawings from the 60's', Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata, New Delhi
    • 2013 'Ram Kumar and the Bombay Progressives: The Form and the Figure Part I', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2012 'Drawings', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2011 'Ram Kumar: A Retrospective', Aicon Gallery, London
    • 2011 Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010-11 'Selected Works: 1949 -2010', presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at RabindraBhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi; Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Ram Kumar: A Retrospective', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2009 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2008 ‘Homage to KekooGandhy’, Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai
    • 2008 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2007 ‘Reflective Landscapes’, Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2006 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2005 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2005 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2003 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2002 Saffronart and Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, New Delhi, San Fransico, New York
    • 2001 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2000 Landscapes from New Zealand, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1999 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1998 A Gallery, New York
    • 1997 Arks Gallery, London
    • 1997 Amdavad Ni Gufa, Ahmedabad
    • 1996 ‘Pages From a Sketch Book’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1996 ‘Ram Kumar – A Journey Within’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1993 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1992 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1992 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1991 Chitrakoot Gallery, Kolkata
    • 1990 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1990 Center for Contemporary Art, New Delhi
    • 1988 Works on Paper, Alliance Francaise, New Delhi
    • 1986 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1984 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1983 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1983 Sarla Art Centre, Chennai
    • 1983 Works on Paper, Miskole, Hungary
    • 1981 Works on Paper, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1980 Art Heritage, New Delhi
    • 1979 Chanakya Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1978 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1977 Chanakya Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1976 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1974 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
    • 1973 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1971 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1968 Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1966 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
    • 1966 Grosvenor Gallery, London
    • 1965 Kunika Art Center, New Delhi
    • 1964 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
    • 1963 Kunika Art Center, New Delhi
    • 1960 Wax and Ink on paper after first visit to Benaras, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1959 Kumar Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1958 Warsaw and Krakow
    • 1957 Alliance Francaise, New Delhi
    • 1953 Alliance Francaise, Mumbai
    • 1949 Y.M.C.A. Hall, Simla

    Selected Group Exhibitions

    • 2014 'Immutable Gaze Part I: Masterpieces of Modern and Pre-Modern Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2013 'Pioneers of Modernism', Sovereign FZE, Dubai
    • 2013 'Ideas of the Sublime', presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 2013 'Nothing is Absolute: A Journey through Abstraction', The Jehangir Nicholson Gallery at ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharajVastuSangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai
    • 2013 'The Discerning Eye: Modern Masters', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2012 'Iconic Processions', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2012 'Gallery Collection', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2012 'Aqua', Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
    • 2012 'Contemporary: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Art', prsented by Sakshi Gallery at The Park, Chennai
    • 2012 'Through the Ages: South Asian Sculpture and Painting from Antiquity to Modernism', AiconGallery, New York
    • 2012 'Sightings', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2011-12 'Reprise 2011', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2011 'Modern Masters', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2011 'POP: Progressives on Paper', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2011 'Anecdotes', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2011 'Masterclass', Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Paper Trails', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'The Progressives & Associates', Grosvenor Gallery, London
    • 2010 'From Miniature to Modern: Traditions in Transition', Rob Dean Art, London in association with Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2010 'Master Class', The Arts Trust, Mumbai
    • 2009 'Indian Art After Independence: Selected Works from the Collections of Virginia & Ravi Akhoury and Shelley & Donald Rubin', Emily Lowe Gallery, Hempstead
    • 2009 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
    • 2009 'Tracing Time', Bodhi Art, Mumbai
    • 2009 'Moderns and More', Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto
    • 2008 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2008 'Post Independence Masters', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2008 ‘Freedom 2008 – Sixty Years of Indian Independence’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
    • 2006 ‘Shadow Lines’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2006 ‘Moderns Revisited’, Grosvenor Vadehra, London
    • 2005 AshtaNayak: Eight Pioneers of Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2004 ‘Concept and Form’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2001 ‘AshtaNayak’, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2001 ‘Modern Indian Art’, organized by Saffronart and Pundole Art Gallery, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York
    • 1997 ‘Image-Beyond Image’, a Traveling Exhibition of Works from the Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan, at New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai
    • 1996 ‘The Moderns’, National Gallery Of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
    • 1991 ‘Remembering Kali Pundole’, Joint Exhibition with M. F. Husain, V. S. Gaitonde, Akbar Padamsee and KrishenKhanna, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1988 ‘Three Indian Artists’, Karachi, Pakistan
    • 1971 Ten Indian Artists, a traveling exhibition in U. S. A.
    • 1958 Eight Indian Artists, Graham Gallery, New York
    • 1958 Seven Indian Painters in Europe, Gallery One, London
    • 1958 Graphic exhibition with M. F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta and V. S. Gaitonde, Mumbai
    • 1952 Delhi Shilpi Chakra, New Delhi

    Retrospective Exhibitions

    • 1994 National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Jehangir Art Gallery (Traveling Exhibition), organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1993 From 1949-93 at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1986 From 1953-86 at Art Heritage, New Delhi organized by Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1986 Museum of Contemporary Art, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
    • 1985 Art Heritage, New Delhi
    • 1980 From 1953-80, Birla Museum, Kolkata

    JSelected Joint Exhibitions

    • 2012 'Eternal Landscapes', with PareshMaity presented by ICIA at The Arts Trust, Mumbai
    • 1995 WithJogenChowdhury, Gallery Raku, Japan <
    • 1967 With M. F. Husain, Geeta Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1967 With M. F. Husain, Prague

    Participations

    • 2015 'Abby Grey and Indian Modernism: Selections from the NYU Art Collection', Grey Art Gallery, New York University, New York
    • 2014 'Ode to Monumental: Celebration, Visuality, Ideology', presented by Saffronart at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2012-13 'Radical Terrain: Modernist Art from India', Rubin Museum of Art, New York
    • 2012 'Art for Humanity', Coomaraswamy Hall, ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharajVastuSangrahalaya, Mumbai
    • 2012 'Modernist Art from India: Approaching Abstraction', Rubin Museum of Art, New York
    • 2012 'Crossings: Time Unfolded, Part 2', KiranNadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
    • 2011 'Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
    • 2011 ‘Manifestations VI', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2011 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose
    • 2011 'Time Unfolded', KiranNadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
    • 2011 'Celebrations 2011', Kumar Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Manifestations IV', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', represented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games
    • 2010 'Evolve: 10th Anniversary Show', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2010 Annual Exhibition, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Celebration 2010', Annual Exhibition, Kumar Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2008-09 'Paz Mandala', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 2008-09 ‘Expanding Horizons: Contemporary Indian Art’, Traveling Exhibition presented by Bodhi Art at RavinderNatyaMandir, P.L.Despande Kala Academy Art Gallery, Mumbai; SantDyaneshwarNatyaSankul Art Gallery, Amravati; Platinum Jubilee Hall, Nagpur; TapadiaNatyaMandir Sports Hall, Aurangabad; HirachandNemchandVachanalay’s, Solapur; AcharyaVidyanandSanskrutikBhavan, Kolhapur; PGSR Sabhagriha, SNDT, Pune; SarvajanikVachanalaya Hall, Nasik
    • 2008 'Moderns', Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan
    • 1987 Coups de Coeur, Geneva
    • 1985 Artistes Indien en France, Nationale des Arts Plastiques, Paris, Festival of India in France
    • 1982 The Gesture and Motif, Festival of India in U. K., Royal Academy of Arts, London
    • 1980 Contemporary Asian Artists, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan
    • 1979 Sao Paolo Biennale
    • 1973 Contemporary Indian Art, a traveling exhibition U. S. A.
    • 1959 Sao Paolo Biennale
    • 1959 Tokyo Biennale, Japan
    • 1958 Venice Biennale, Italy
    • 1957 Tokyo Biennale, Japan

    Honours and Awards

    • 2010 Padma Bhushan from Government of India
    • 2003 Officers Arts et Letters, French Government
    • 1986 KalidasSamman, Madhya Pradesh State Government
    • 1972 PremchandPuraskar, Uttar Pradesh State Government for MeriPriyaKahaniyan, a collection of short stories in Hindi
    • 1972 Padmashree, Government of India
    • 1970 J. D. Rockefeller III Fellowship, New York
    • 1959 Honorable Mention, Sao Paolo Biennale
    • 1958 National Award, New Delhi
    • 1956 National Award, New Delhi

    Ram Kumar lives and works in New Delhi.