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Vinayak Pandurang Karmarkar is revered as one of the most successful sculptors of modern India. He created history with the first-ever unique equestrian monumental sculpture of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for the Shivaji Memorial Trust, Pune in 1928 in a single-piece casting method which is considered to be a challenge by itself till today.
Karmarkar hails from a small village Sasawane from the Konkan region of Maharashtra. In 1913, he completed his formal education in sculpture and modeling from Sir. J. J. School of Art with astounding success, Karmarkar started his professional career in Mumbai. Later, in 1916, impressed by his exceptional proficiency in portraiture, the Tagore family with a letter from Abanindranath Tagore dated 24th October 1916 invited him to establish a studio in Calcutta, which became influential for Karmarkar to establish his studio at 39 Zhavtala Road, Baliganj. He was occupied with numerous commissioned monumental sculptures for wealthy individuals and different organisations. Around the same time, he had the opportunity to sculpt a distinguished personality, Mahatma Gandhi from actual sitting.
In 1920. Karmarkar with an urge for higher education went to England to study at The Royal Academy London. There he mastered the technique of bronze casting. He also visited other European countries like France, Italy, and Switzerland to meet and study the works of his counterparts working there.
Karmarkar also created a number of works for his own satisfaction and contentment. These are the reflections of his immediate social environment consisting of birds, animals, the underprivileged, labourers, ordinary people, their traditions, cultures, and simple life.
He had constructed his studio and a house at Sasawane in 1934, which has been converted into "Shilpkar Karmarkar Shipalaya" consisting of his select sculptures. Karmarkar was the recipient of many prestigious awards and honours like the fellowship of Lalit Kala Akademi and Padmashree. He was associated with many institutions including The Art Society of India, The Bombay Art Society, The Bhulabhai Memorial Institute, and The Indian Sculptors Association.
This is indeed a proud moment for me to publish T this biographical book on the legendary sculptor V.P. Karmarkar of India. In past Lalit Kala Akademi has published a small monograph during 1960s on V.P. Karmarkar, but unfortunately the expanse of his excellent work in the monumental sculpture and the artistic creation done for his own satisfaction and as studies were never documented to this magnitude. It is quite interesting and a fact of pride to learn that Karmarkar who hailed from a small village like Sasawane in Alibag, Konkan region of Maharashtra was invited by Tagore family to establish his studio in Calcutta. The original letter, printed in this book can be referred, it was written by Abnindranath Tagore addressed to Karmarkar in appreciation of his work.
In the year 2015, I had the opportunity to attend the inauguration of Suhas Bahulkar's exhibition and release of his three books in Marathi. One of them was on the legendary sculptor V.P. Karmarkar which is an excellent biographical book of the great sculptor of the era. During my tenure as Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi, along with other programs, I had decided to take initiative in publishing few books for the benefit of the younger generation, and one of them was on Karmarkar.
I am happy and feel gratified to see this book being published. In fact it would have not been possible without valuable cooperation and support from the writer of the original Marathi book published by Rajhans Prakashan "Aayushyachi Maulyavan Matee-Shilpakar Karmarkar," Suhas Bahulkar and Arvind Hate who is also a painter who has taken the efforts of translating it in English. I knew Suhas Bahulkar as a young active artist, while I was studying in Abhinav Kala Vidyalaya, Pune. Later I studied in Sir. J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in the sculpture department. Suhas Bahulkar, then was considered to be young intelligent teacher. With his hard work he has come a long way and is recognized as a scholar, writer and as an eminent painter.
I consider this book to be a well-researched and excellent documentation with facts. I thank Suhas Bahulkar for his Marathi book and Arvind Hate for the excellent work of translation in English.
I am confident that this book "Precious clay of life: Legendary Sculptor Vinayak Pandurang Karmarkar" would be a major milestone for Lalit Kala Akademi.
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