Krishen Khanna

Artoholics Gallery founded in 2007 specializes in modern and contemporary artists of India. Pankaj Sahni, the indefatigable but affable dealer opened a new space in New Delhi, to expand his eponymous gallery. The year 2008 will be remembered in art market history as a turning point, beginning in a mood of speculative euphoria and ending in violent contraction. Between the multi-million dollar sales of the spring and the extreme wariness of buyers in the autumn, the art market fell victim to the economic and financial crisis as it spread around the globe. 

Indian masters that are part of history were available at affordable prices and this downward spiral was seen as a golden opportunity by the power dealer. In the last decade the surprising depreciation recovered and the Modern Indian Masters were back in vogue. 

In solo shows, Artoholics has shown the works of Sudhir Bhagat, Sudip Roy, M. Sivanesan. 

The Indian art gallery is embarking on the new decade by celebrating Krishen Khanna in his 95th year, showcasing his recent visual and sculptural work. 

The gallery is embarking on the new decade by showcasing the works of one of India’s most groundbreaking living artists - Krishen Khanna, the last standing artist of the Progressive Artists Group.  His oil on canvases and drawings largely depict the middle and lower classes, their trepidations and tribulations. His shift to India after the Partition and the chaos in the aftermath deeply affected him, his works then reflecting on the ordinary with subtlety. This exhibition highlights the three themes that are closest to the artist’s heart, ranging from the works on Christ to the Bandwallahs and works like Southern Soiree show the local musicians from his Madras days. This exhibition outlines works from different decades, the themes are recurring and play back to nostalgia. Looking at the figurative form and brush work in his works it is apparent how the artist technique has gradually matured and become more deliberate. In the later stages of his tenure as an artist the work has become more thought provoking.

Krishen Khanna is not one to shy away from delving into new mediums and pushing his creative boundaries. In the 1970s he experimented with photography, while that did not resonate with him he continued following his instincts. Works of sculptures are a new and exciting find for him, because of its shape, colour, pattern and hardness, the stone has its own story to tell. The three dimensional medium has given his work a new meaning of gesture and the structure of rhythm.

In 2011, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of the Indian government’s highest civilian awards, in 1990 he received Padma Shri, and in 1997 he received the Kala Ratna from the All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society. He has participated in the Venice, São Paulo, Havana and Tokyo biennales and in the International Triennale in New Delhi. He has exhibited in solo and group shows around the world, in places like New York, London, New Orleans, Honolulu, Oxford, Washington, D.C., Geneva, and at the festival of India in Japan. He lives and works in New Delhi. 

While we are inundated with art day-in and day-out, there are a few special works and artists that transcend time and culture to stake their rightful place in art history. Krishen Khanna already holds an imminent place in the hearts of art lovers, not just because his works are vibrant and beautiful, but because they hold within themselves a story. Every brush stroke and each drop of color used is a word written on the canvas. We are gratified to have been given this opportunity to celebrate the 95th year of the most respected creator of 20th Century Indian modern art.

“Why do writers say give up a job in economics and decide to write poetry? Or, why do they give up a job in a bank and decide to paint like Krishen Khanna? They want to convey something.”

- Vikram Seth