• Yusuf Arakkal

    Yusuf Arakkal was born in Kerala in the year 1945 .

    Yusuf Arakkal's early paintings were studies in abstract of the lives of the city dwellers. He used a profusion of bright colours to depict their situation. Later, his growing concern with social issues began to be reflected in his paintings. Arakkal, through his art, depicts the everyday life of the dispossessed, in urban areas - their poverty, helplessness, dismal living conditions and their stoicism in the face of tragedy.

    In keeping with his partiality for somber shades, Arakkal employs earthy shades with an occasional dab of yellow or crimson. He concentrates on the texture of his canvases and gives them a grainy, rough surface, reminiscent of timeworn, peeling, cracked walls.                               Several of Arakkal's canvases focus on a solitary human in various poses.

  • Education

    • 1980 Specialization in Graphic Print Making, The National Academy Community Studios, Garhi, New Delhi
    • 1973 Diploma in Painting, Chitrakala Parishat College of Art, Bangalore

  • Exibitions

    • 2011 'An Inner Fire', Art Alive.

    Selected Solo Exhibitions

    • 2011 'An Inner Fire', Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2008 ‘The Street’, presented by Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi and Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata at Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata
    • 2007 ‘The Age of Innocence’, presented by S. A. Fine Arts, London and Galerie Sara Arakkal, Bangalore at La Galleria, London
    • 2007 ‘The Street’, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi and Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto
    • 2007 ‘In a Figurative Identity’, Easel Art Gallery, Singapore
    • 2007 Easel Art Gallery, Singapore
    • 2004 Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2002 The Nehru Centre, London
    • 2001 At the Emirate Towers, Dubai, UAE
    • 2001 Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
    • 2000 ART INC., New Delhi
    • 2000 Art Indus, New Delhi
    • 1999 ABC Gallery, Banaras
    • 1998 The Discerning Eye Gallery, H.K. Museum of Art, Visual Art Centre, Hong Kong
    • 1998 A Gallery, New York
    • 1998 Gallery Tokeidai, Saporo, Japan
    • 1998 Gallery Shes Asahikawa, Japan
    • 1998 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1997 Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1996 Air Gallery, London
    • 1996 Wallace Gallery, Chelsea, New York
    • 1996 Rashtriya Lalit kala Kendra, Bhubaneshwar
    • 1994 Art Forum Gallery, Singapore
    • 1994 Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery - Kathmandu, Nepal
    • 1993 Gallerie Taormina Del Arte-Le Havre, France
    • 1992 Relays De Monts-Siux, Limousin, France
    • 1992 Genesis Art Gallery, Kolkata
    • 1990,91,92 Mumbai
    • 1990 Art Heritage, New Delhi
    • 1989 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
    • 1986 Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1985 Ahmedabad
    • 1984 Indore
    • 1980 New Delhi
    • 1980 Jabalpur
    • 1980 Gwalior
    • 1978 Bhopal
    • 1978 Gwalior
    • 1976 Bhopal
    • 1976 Gwalior

    Selected Group Exhibitions

    • 2010 '10 x 10', Gallery Threshold, New Delhi
    • 2010 'Black is Beautiful', India Fine Art, Mumbai
    • 2009 'The Open Cage', Galerie Sara Arakkal, Bangalore
    • 2009 'Think Small', Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2009 'Indian Harvest', presented by Crimson- The Art Resouce, Bangalore at SG Private Banking, Singapore
    • 2009 'The Root of Everything', Gallery Mementos, Bangalore
    • 2008 'Stellar Configuration', presented by Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery, Chennai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2008 'Tales, Reflection and Constructs', Galerie 88, Kolkata
    • 2006 ‘Tatva’, The Elements, organized by Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi and S. A. Fine Arts, London at Victoria and Albert Museum, London
    • 2004 Habiart Gallery, New Delhi
    • 2003 Gallery Art and Rugs, Gurgaon, Uttar Pradesh
    • 2003 ‘An Expression of Art’, Gallery Vyakt, New Delhi
    • 2001 ‘Contemporary Indian Painting’, Kleinsassen, Fulda, Germany
    • 2001 ‘Exhibition of Young Indian Contemporary Artists’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
    • 2001 Art for Concern, Mumbai
    • 2001 Best of Indian Art, A Show of Indian Artists, Singapore
    • 2000 Contemporary Woman, Modern Indian Artist, Visual Art Center, Hong Kong.
    • 2000 UDHR Exhibition, United Nations in Geneva (U.N.O.G)
    • 2000 ‘The Eternal Embrace- a Tribute to Universal Motherhood’, Dubai
    • 2000 ‘Combine Voices for the Century’, Art Inc., New Delhi
    • 2000 ‘Graphic Expressions’, Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2000 ‘Black and White’, Art Today, New Delhi
    • 2000 ‘The Millennium Mask’, Dhoomimal Art Centre, New Delhi
    • 1999 Inaugural Show, Crimson Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1998 Bayer - RPG show, Munich, Germany
    • 1998 ‘Spirit and Soul’, The Rotunda Exchange Square, Hong Kong
    • 1998 Surya Gallery 6th Anniversary Exhibition, Hyderabad
    • 1998 Art Folio Inaugural Show, Chandigarh
    • 1997 ‘Tribute to Mother Teresa’, Art Indus, New Delhi
    • 1997 ‘Major Trends in Indian Art’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 1997 ‘Gift for India’, Sahmat, New Delhi
    • 1996 ‘Women in Indian Art’, The Gallery, Visual Art Centre, Hong Kong
    • 1996 ‘Indian Contemporary Art Show’, Nagai Garo, Tokyo, Japan
    • 1996 ‘Exposition’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 1996 ‘Art From The Land of Heart’, Art Indus, New Delhi
    • 1996 Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 1995 ‘Heads and Faces’, An Exhibition by Gallery Maya, Visual Art Centre, Hong Kong
    • 1995 ‘Moving Away from Traditions’, The Easel Art Gallery, Chennai
    • 1995 ‘Defiant Ones’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1994 ‘Indian Contemporary Art Show’, Gallery Maya, Hong Kong
    • 1994 ‘Indian Printmaking Show’, Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery Victoria, British Columbia
    • 1994 The Arts Trust Collection, Mumbai
    • 1994 Artist from Madhya Pradesh, Chennai
    • 1994 Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
    • 1994 ‘Tattooed Spaces’, New Delhi
    • 1994 La’ou ‘Finit’ Labsence, Bhopal
    • 1994 ‘Drawing-94’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
    • 1993 Nine Indian Artists Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Gallery, New York
    • 1993 ‘Trends and Images’, Seema Gallery, Kolkata
    • 1993 Souvenir d’en France, New Delhi
    • 1992 ‘Young Contemporary Artists from SAARC Countries’
    • 1992 ‘International Show Comart’, Korea
    • 1992 ‘Imprints On Our Time’, Mumbai
    • 1990 Xal PRAXIS Foundation Print Exhibition, Mumbai
    • 1989 ‘Indian Eclectics’, New Delhi
    • 1989 ‘Artists Alert’, New Delhi
    • 1988 ‘Seventeen Indian Painters’, Mumbai
    • 1987 ‘Uplabdhi’, 28 Artists of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal
    • 1987 ‘Fine Arts from Madhya Pradesh’, New Delhi
    • 1986 Inaugural Exhibition of the National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea
    • 1985 ‘Some Aspects of Indian Art’, New Delhi
    • 1982 Inaugural Show, Bharat Bhanvan, Bhopal
    • 1971 Indian Artists, Belorussia and Moscow

    Participations

    • 2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', represented by Art Alive Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games
    • 2010 'Master’s Corner', organized by Indian Contemporary Art Journal at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; India International Art Fair, New Delhi
    • 2005 5th Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Italy
    • 2005 Biennale Internazionale Dell' Arte Contemporanea
    • 2005 Inaugural Show, Arad International Biennale, Romania.
    • 2003 4th Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Italy
    • 2003 4th Egyptian International Print Triennial
    • 2003,1998 Asia Print Adventure, Japan
    • 2001 Cairo International Biennale
    • 2000 Participation in Artists International Direct Support, International AIDS Portfolio Project, Canada
    • 2000 Participation in the UDHR International AIDS Portfolio in South Africa
    • 1999 ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, International Print Portfolio Exhibition, Durban, South Africa.
    • 1998 International Print Triennial, Kangawa, Japan
    • 1997 ‘Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
    • 1996 ‘Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
    • 1995 Bangladesh Biennale, Dhaka
    • 1992 Seventh Triennial, New Delhi
    • 1987 Ninth International Biennale de Sao Paulo, Brazil
    • 1986 Sixth International Triennale, New Delhi, India
    • 1986 Bharat Bhavan Biennial, Bhopal
    • 1986 Third Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
    • 1986 Sixth Biennale de beaux Art, Beaumont, France
    • 1985 Thirty Contemporary Indian Artists, Havana, Cuba
    • 1985 Indian Printmaking, Festival of India, USA
    • 1985 Second Asian Art Show, Fukoka, Japan
    • 1985 Contemporary Indian Art show at the National Museum, Mexico City, Mexico

    Honours and Awards

    • 2005 Lorenso-De-Medici Gold medal at 5th Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Italy.
    • 2005 Varnashilpi Venkatappa Award - The highest award given by the Government of Karnataka for art.
    • 2005 Arad City Award, Arad International Biennale, Romania.
    • 2003 Lorenso-De-Medici the magnificent, silver medal for his painting at the 4th Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Italy
    • 2001 Shikhar Sanman, Department of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh
    • 2000 QINGDAO Inter National Print Biennial of China
    • 1999 Karnataka Rajyotsava Award
    • 1997,81,80 Madhya Pradesh State Award
    • 1997 All India’s Kalidas Award, Ujjain
    • 1994 Raza Award, Bhopal
    • 1989-92 Government of India Fellowship, HRD Ministry, New Delhi
    • 1989 ‘Indian Eclectics’, Exhibition, New Delhi
    • 1987 National Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
    • 1986 Bharat Bhavan Biennale, Bhopal
    • 1986 Karnataka Lalit kala Academy Honor
    • 1986 Special Award - Third Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
    • 1983 The National Award
    • 1979,81 The Karnataka Lalit kala Academy Award
    • 1980 International Asian European Biennial, Turkey

    Yusuf Arakkal lives and works in Bangalore.