V S Gaitonde

Vasudeo S Gaitonde was born in Maharashtra in 1924. He called his work "non-objective" and believed that "there is no such thing as abstract art." Gaitonde’s paintings, evocative of subliminal depths, are known for their spiritual quality and characteristic silence that is as meditative as it is eternal and momentous. The plain, large surfaces of layered paint possess an inherent quality of light.Gaitonde received a Diploma in Painting from the Sir J J School of Art in 1948, and subsequently joined the Progressive Artists’ Group. Art, for Gaitonde, was a process complete in itself. In exploring his inner spaces and transient realities, it helped him move towards himself. A non-conformist, Gaitonde always kept himself away from anything that would be extraneous to his identity as a painter. Over the years, he evolved as a painter who was increasingly more meticulous in the presentation of his identity.Gaitonde’s work has been exhibited at several exhibitions in India and abroad. In 2014-2015, the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York organised a major retrospective of the artist’s works, titled V S Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life. His work is part of several Indian and foreign collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He was awarded the first prize at the Young Asian Artists' Exhibition, Tokyo in 1957 and the J D Rockefeller III Fellowship in 1964. In recognition of his contributions to Indian art, Gaitonde received the Padma Shri in 1971.Gaitonde lived and worked in New Delhi, and passed away in August 2001. 

His exhibit with us are two lithographs on handmade paper and one ink on paper made in 1974.