RAM KUMAR
1924 – 2018
Born on September 23, 1924, in Shimla, Ram Kumar studied economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. During his college years, he attended evening classes at the Sarada Ukil School of Art, immersing himself in the Western style of painting under the guidance of Sailoz Mookherjea. He went to Paris to study painting under Andre Lhote and Fernard Leger from 1949 to 1952.
Although Ram Kumar initially produced representational works, he gained renown for his distinct brand of abstraction, a style he embraced during his time in Varanasi. It was there that he had journeyed alongside his friend and fellow artist M. F. Husain to explore this novel artistic approach.
Kumar’s abstract landscapes, free from human presence, do away with the conventional elements of reality. Instead, they convey the essence of land, trees, sky, and water through the sheer intensity of colours. He uses a variety of textures to map out the forms through abstract strokes. His work is greatly moulded by his fascination with nature, being-ness, and the connections between space, purposes, and people. He truly exemplifies how a painter may portray the most intimate stories of his society while still keeping the uniqueness, if not eccentricity, of his performance.
