SATISH GUJRAL - A RETROSPECTIVE
Different strokes

THE National Gallery of Modern Art is hosting the ongoing retrospective exhibition of Satish Gujral. Though the closing time of the gallery is 5 pm, five minutes prior to that the staff was ready to shut down the place. Since the interview was still going on, Satish, Kiran and I requested that we should be given a place to sit but the staff simply said, "time ho gaya hai." Outside, there wasn’t any chair or stool where we could sit—this when the gallery has a sprawling stretch all around. It seemed rather unfortunate that this gallery has no such bandobast for sitting. The only option was to grab the suggestion put forth by Satish—that we sit inside his car and complete the interview.

Coming to the exhibition, the impact of his works holds out as you move from one end of the gallery to the other. It showcases more than 50 years (1948-2005) of intense and passionate work. And, mind you, the expanse is immense for he is a painter, sculptor, muralist, architect and an interior designer. He has been working in a variety of mediums. There’s such a stark contrast between his pencil drawings and metal murals or between the portraits and collages. His architectural designs and patterns stand out—whether it’s those buildings designed by him in Riyadh or the Belgian Embassy built in New Delhi. One is left spellbound by the man’s artistic stretch, which he has expanded to the ultimate. As critic Charles Fabri had written way back in 1952 in The Statesman: "The word genius has rarely been used in this column, but it is the correct term for Satish Gujral`85."

As I have mentioned earlier, there seems an obvious contrast between his works. His earlier works (done in 1950s) seem to concentrate on human suffering. To quote a critic who had written about his works in 1953: "In all paintings there is a song of pain, a protest against the injustice perpetrated against all human beings, each canvas is a lament`85."

But the latest series of 2005 portrays men at play. I recommend that those serious about viewing his works must first read his autobiography. His life’s story ends on a positive note—on a Persian saying that his father used to repeat at home: Kasb-e kamal kun keh aziz-e-jahan shavi (Achieve excellence in your vocation for that is the way to win the world). — H.Q.

HOME