Modern Sculptures

The beginning of modernism in Indian sculpture can be traced to its adaptation of western academic art traditions in the early 20th century. Sculptors who trained in the academic realist style at British art schools worked on secular subjects in a departure from ancient and medieval Indian norms, where myths and deities formed the major themes. Sculptures were now created to cater to the demands of the newly emerging upper and middle social classes. The innovation of Indian sculptors can be seen in the intense and exaggerated realism during this period.

The next phase of sculptural development is represented by artists such as D.P Roy Chowdhury, Fanindranath Bose and V. P. Karmarkar who were influenced by the dignified and monumental works of the French sculptor Rodin. It was only in the 1940’s and 1950’s that Indian modern sculpture developed a unique indigenous language; best represented by the works of Ram Kinker Baij. He looked afresh at both western and traditional Indian norms, amalgamating them in a modern context. In a distinctive style, he experimented with unconventional material such as concrete, gravel and cement, looking to the rural landscape and tribal communities for subjects.

The 1950’s were marked by experimentations with wood and stone, in which the essential character of the solid block was retained. In the next two decades, sculptors utilized a variety of techniques to create new relationships between material, theme and form. The sculptures celebrated the spirit of humanism and their work was also infused with a sense of the spiritual that is reminiscent of classical sculptural styles. The search for pure form induced by European aesthetics added a new and interesting dimension. Experiments with unusual material, sometimes in combination with traditional material, had intriguing results. Apart from the classical traditions, folk and tribal sources had a profound effect on the artistic imagination.

The sculptures in the NGMA collection by artists such as Ramkinkar Baij, Debiprasad Roy Chowdhury, Sankho Chaudhuri, Pradosh Dasgupta, Piloo Pochkhanawalla, Adi Davierwala, Chintamani Kar, Amarnath Sehgal, Dhanraj Bhagat, Meera Mukherjee, Piraji Sagara, Raghav Kaneria, Nagji Patel, Himmat Shah, K.G. Subramanyan, Balbir Singh Katt, Latika Katt, Jeram Patel, Nagji Patel, Jagdish Swaminathan, Satish Gujral, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Madan Lal, Sabari Roy Chowdhury, KS Radhakrishnan, S Nandagopal, PV Janakiram, Ravinder Reddy, NN Rimzoh, Pushpamala N, Valasan Kolleri, Prithpal Singh Ladi, Karl Antao and Sudarshan Shetty narrate the story of the history of modern sculptures in India in a holistic way.

The NGMA’s sculpture collection is amongst the richest in the country. The Gallery is further enhancing the collection with the acquisition of contemporary works that blur the boundaries between sculpture and installation.