Ramkinker Baij - retrospective pays tribute to iconic sculptor
PTI | 03:02 PM,Feb 13,2012New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) Two towering 'Yaksha' 'Yakshini' statues at the entrance of Reserve Bank of India building representing the mythical guardians of wealth may be seen and admired by visitors but very few are aware that their creator Ramkinker Baij is also the first figure of modern Indian sculpture. "Ramkinker Baij - a retrospective" that is currently on at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) here features a mammoth collection of over 350 works sculptures, watercolours, lithograph prints and etchings as well as rare photographs of the artist. Sculptor K S Radhakrishnan who was also a student of Baij has curated the exhibition over a period of four years with guidance from contemporary artists K G Subramanyan and A Ramachandran who have been associated with Baij. "I have divided this retrospective into different subcategories to look at various points in the artist's life," says Radhakrishnan. These include works previously scattered works and those which have moved into collections of top collectors. "I discovered not just visual but also anecdotal inputs, rare photos in possession of former students, colleagues and friends. There is also dialogues, conversations and reminiscences written mostly in Bengali. Based on these a new picture of Kinkar Da emerged," says the curator. Baij, studied in Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan under the patronage of Rabindranath Tagore and later became a faculty member there and along with Nandalal and Benodebehari Mukherjee played an decisive role in making Santiniketan the most important centre for modern art in pre- independant India. MORE
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