National Gallery of Modern Art invites fans of Art to “An Artist’s quest: K.K. Hebbar – A Retrospective”: an exhibition of paintings by K.K. Hebbar, curated by Rekha Rao and Rajani Prasanna. Hebbar’s work drew upon a varied set of influences that included traditional Indian styles such as miniature art, as well as styles of Amrita Sher-Gill and French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin.
The exhibition marks the birth centenary of K.K. Hebbar, a significant figure in modern Indian Art. K.K. Hebbar paintings depict personal and social themes.
Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar (1911–1996)better known as K.K. Hebbar was a celebrated artist known for his India themed artworks.
The artist was born in 1911in Kattingeri near Udupi, India in a Tulu speaking Brahmin family. Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was inclined towards art from his childhood, because his father was an occasional sculptor who used to make Ganesha idols. Coming from an artistic family background K.K. Hebbar pursued art and formally studied at the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai between 1940-1945. Later he studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris
K.K. Hebbar's early artwoks were called his Kerala phase because of his depiction of the landscapes of the regions of Malabar and Tulu Nadu. Later he experimented with other themes. His artworks were inspired by Paul Gauguin and Amrita Sher-Gil.
He first won international audiences at the Art Now In India exhibitions in 1965 which were held in London and Brussels. Hebbar also participated in various International art exhibitions like the Venice Biennale, São Paulo Art Biennial as well as the Tokyo Biennale. Today, his artworks are considered highly influential in Indian Art History.
K.K. Hebbar won many awards throughout his lifetime including India's fourth and third highest civilian awards the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. Other of his awards include Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, the Bombay Art Society Award, the Bombay State Award, the Lalit Kala Akademi Award, Varna Shilpi K Venkatappa Award, an honorary doctorate from Mysore University, the Soviet Land Nehru Award.
