The late thirties and early forties saw his emergence as a modernist thematically well grounded in the local-present, in the best Saminiketan tradision, but also open to a full range of modernis linguistic innovations in art. Already an admirer of the working class he was touched by the adverse impact natural calamities and political developments all through the forties had on their lives. And this led him to evolve as a committed artin with lefthe leanings The spectre of human suffering he saw around him led him to transform immediate facts into allegorical, symbolic and occasionally even didactic images. This gave a new thematic focus to his works, as well as an element of drama and expressive-immediacy to his execution. Coming in a period that saw the emergence of Progressive Movements and anti-Fascist expressions on the Indian cultural scene he came to be seen as a radical with a bohemian slant. But, despite his marked disregard for conventional ways and occasional expressions of vexation, he remained an impressible humanist who kept alive a sense of joy and faith in man deep within him.
Ramkinkar was singularly reticent and otherworldly as he was single-minded in his commitment to art and humanity. But this did not stop his work from being noticed and appreciated by other sensitive artists and connaisseurs, even if it were to remain a small group. Although his work was passed over for quite a while, gradually it began to get both national and international attention. He was invited to participate in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1950 and in the Salon de Mai in 1951. And in the seventies national honours began to come his way one after the other. In 1970 the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bushan, in 1976 he was made a fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi, in 1976 he was conferred the honorary doctoral degree of Desikottama by Visva Bharati, and in 1979 an honorary D.Litt by the Rabindra Bharati University.
Ramkinkar died, after a period of illness, in Kolkata on the 2nd of August 1980.
He has written extensively on modern Indian art and is noted for his significant contribution to the study of the art and artists of Santiniketan. Besides numerous papers in various journals, Siva Kumar has authored the following books: The Santiniketan Murals, 1995; Santiniketan: The Making of a Contextual Modernism, 1997; KG. Subramanyan: A Retrospective, 2003; A. Ramachandran: A Retrospective, 2004; K.S. Radhakrishnan, 2004; and My Pictures: A Collection of Paintings by Rabindranath Tagore, 2005; Benodebehari Mukherjee: A Centenary, 2006; Khoai, 2006; K.G. Subramanyan: The Painted Platters, 2007; The Paintings of Abanindranath Tagore, 2008; Sensibility Objectified: The Sculptures of Sarbari Roy Chudhury, 2009; K. G. Subramanyan: Drawings, 2010; Rabindra Chitravali. 4 Vols., 2011; The Last Harvest, 2011.
The exhibitions he has curated/co-curated include: Tryst with Destiny at the Singapore Art Museum, 1997; Santiniketan: The Making of A contextual Modernism, 1997; K.G. Subramanyan: A Retrospective, 2003; Benodebehari: A Centenary Retrospective, (along with Prof. Gulam Mohammed Sheikh) 2006, all at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and The Last Harvest: Paintings of Rabindranath Tagore which is travelling to 8 leading museums in Berlin, New York, Seoul, Amsterdam, Paris Rome, Chicago and London (between Sept. 2011and May 2012).
KS Radhakrishnan is a sculptor. Born in 1956 in Kottayam (Kerala), he was educated in Santiniketan (West Bengal). He has had more than fifteen solo shows including at Centre des Bonds de Marne, LePerreux-Bry sur-Marne (France), Lalit Kala Akademi (New Delhi) and at Birla Academy of Art and Culture (Kolkata) amongst others. Among the numerous group shows at which his works have been exhibited are the National Exhibition at New Delhi (1980); Triennalle India (1990); Salon International de la Sculpture Contemporaine at Nouveay Forum des Halles, Paris (1995); Hippodrome d'e longchamp, Paris (1996); Espace Michel Simon-Noisy le grand, France (1996). Radhakrishnan has installed open air sculptures across the country and abroad including at the TMI foundation, Cotignac, France. He lives in Delhi with his wife and son.
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