Lines from an Artistic Life explores the drawings of eminent Indian artist KM Adimoolam, well-known in India and internationally for his meticulous pen-and-ink drawings on subjects ranging from realistic portraits of Mahatma Gandhi to idealized portrayals of Indian kings and warriors, and semi-abstract depictions of Hindu gods informed by Cubism.
Born in 1938 in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, KM Adimoolam's natural aptitude for drawing at an early age made him move to Chennai in 1959. There, under the influence of the sculptor Dhanapal, he enrolled in the School of Arts and Crafts. After completing his Diploma in Advanced Painting in 1966, Adimoolam started a series of black-and-white portraits of Mahatma Gandhi. Sketching from photographs of the great man, he finished nearly 100 drawings that covered over 60 years of the Mahatma's life.
At about this time, Adimoolam came into contact with Tamil writers and began an association with them, illustrating their works, after which he took up oil painting. Colour came into his life, causing him to move from the figurative to the abstract.
Adimoolam now works with equal ease at drawing and painting, combining the two to produce a large body of work. The recipient of many honours and awards, his works are held in numerous public and private collections in India and abroad. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in drawing, contemporary art and Indian culture.
Krishen Khanna is one of India's most distinguished contemporary artists. He was a member of the Progressive Artists Group and has been honoured by the President of India with a Padma Shri in 1996. He has held many successful solo shows and been part of group exhibitions in both India and internationally
Aditi De is a writer, columnist and editor. She is the author of Articulations: Voices from Contemporary Indian Visual Art (2004).
Jehangir Sabavala, an illustrious name on contemporary Indian art scene, has held several solo shows and participated in major exhibitions all over the world. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977. Colours of Absence, a film on his life, won the national award in 1994. Sabavala lives and works in Mumbai.
KM Adimoolam's studio and residence is a small house set on a plot of land in Injabakkam, adjoining the Cholamandalam artists' village in Chennai. Looking out of the studio makes you feel as if you were in a dense rainforest. It is a place that symbolizes one of Adimoolam's main artistic concerns-the indivisibility of nature and people. One of the most important artists to emerge out of southern India, his simplicity is remarkable. He believes in traditional moral values and it is comforting to visit his home and family.
Adimoolam says, "My drawings and paintings help express my feelings. My drawings are not the exact copy of what I have seen through my eyes; but I feel they are the impressions of beauty, which seem to constantly get imprinted on my inner vision and emerge as black and white forms on paper." These "black and white forms"- intriguing, inimitable drawings of Mahatma Gandhi, kings, warriors, street theatre actors, holy men, still lifes-have gained worldwide acclaim. Resolute, graceful lines are the quintessence of these drawings, minimal art that speaks volumes and has the power to take you in and make you a part of Adimoolam's inner energy and vision.
Over the years, we have acquired a selection of some of Adimoolam's finest works in our collection. This book is not merely a documentation of his work but a tribute to his genius as an artist and his integrity as an individual.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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