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Satish Gujral was born in the small-river town of Jhelum in pre-partition India. He was a man of many talents, known for his paintings, sculpture, writing and architecture. He is one of the pioneers of Indian Contemporary Art. While crossing a river in Kashmir, injured his leg and lost his hearing. He also lost his brother in the same incident (Gujral) Confined to his bed, he took to reading poetry by famous poets such as Iqbal and Ghalib which was his first step into the world of art (“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral)”). He said, “Once you start living in a world, that is created by a poet or a writer, you lose touch with real life. It is what built my personality” (“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral),” 02:33- 02:50). His hearing impairment further lead to him being denied admission into many schools and during this period of time he took up art which his father being an anglicised man encouraged (Artiana). His childhood experiences shaped his future as an artist.

In 1939, he was admitted to the Mayo School of Art in Lahore to study applied arts that was headed by John Kipling, writer Rudyard Kipling’s father. John Kipling had a deep-seated interest in reviving art within the Indian culture with the belief that painting, sculpture, and other techniques were arts of space (“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral)”). Here, Gujral was taught various artisan techniques such as woodcarving, metal smithery, scale drawing, and copying ground plans and elevations of old buildings. He also learnt multiple fine art techniques such as drawing, clay modelling, and design. This allowed him to broaden his artistic skills and establish his interest in pursuing a career as an artist (Artiana). His time at Mayo further allowed him to become part of a community of famous creatives such as Ahmed Faiz and Krishan Chander (Gujral). Though he was surrounded by many like minded people, he was still subject to ridicule due to his being differently abled. This led him to spend a lot of time with his elder brother Inder who later became the 12th Prime Minister of India. From him he developed a passion for Social Revolution which he channelled into his artwork along with the angst created by the ridicule he faced.

In 1944, just three years before partition, Gujral moved to Bombay to study at the JJ School of Arts, a college famous to this day for its teaching in the Arts and in Literature. Many of his classmates here were those who later walked centre-stage in the Indian modern art scene. It was during his time here that he became exposed to Western Art and was invited to join the Progressive Artists Group (PAG). However, he did not agree with the PAG’s westernised ways of thinking and sought to find a balance between the western concepts of Contemporary Art and traditional Indian art (Artiana). This blend of western and Indian concepts is still very much evident in all of his work.

In 1947, just after Gujral had moved back to Lahore, India went through one of its darkest periods, partition. His family being of a non-Muslim background were forced to move across the new border back into India. The horror and violence he witnessed during this time were a major influence in his artwork (Artiana). The experiences of brutality and inhumanity that he was in such close contact with as a young man in the middle of the violence and chaos left a strong impression on him throughout his life (“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral)”). His work from this time period is probably his most popular series as they resonated with a lot of people who went through the same things he did.

In 1952, he moved to Mexico to study under Diego Rivera and David Sequeiros. Here he went back to his roots of wanting to use art, specifically murals as a tool for social change. Since then, he has held several solo exhibitions in various parts of the world and even went on to learn architecture in 1977, having designed many landmark buildings such as the Gandhi Institute (Artiana). Gujral has made a niche name for himself in the art scene of the world and has been part of India making a name for itself as a source for artistic talent all across the globe.
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Satish Gujral’s work was a testament to the human condition (Bhuyan). In his earlier years, his perception of the world was developed through the strain that his many injuries and health issues that were placed on him. During his school days in Mayo, he grew to be influenced by his older brother’s political leanings and this was further depicted in his work which often constitute a depiction of the socio-political climate that they were created in. He was never limited to one form or style of art, his portfolio of work consisted of paintings, sculptures, murals, architecture, and even interior design. His biggest influence however that kick-started his career was his experience during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan.

He was in Lahore where he had set up his gallery when the partition took place. This event forced him to move to Shimla, India. During his journey he experienced violence on a large scale first-hand. “No outer happening can seed inner composition. It must happen to you personally and so, my first beginning as an artist was partition. I witness the killing, murder, and rape. I painted the man suffering and people of those days adopted me as their artist” (Artiana). This series was his most widely recognised work and paved the way for his future career. In this series, Gujral used thick expressive brushstrokes characterised by darker colours with figures shrouded in cloth garments to make their suffering seem more bearable (Dasgupta). The expressions that the figures bear speak of untold horrors, pain, and loss. The way Gujral uses space on the canvas makes the figures fill up the whole space around a viewer lending to the weight of the message behind the work further accentuated by the deep brown shades and often half-lidded or hidden eyes. He uses the figure as a form of expression, emphasising some aspects of the body while hiding others. Oversized hands lying helplessly without in positions signifying the depth of grief that these individuals went through (Dasgupta). Their arms often extended begging for answers, for relief from the pain. Yet in these figures is a sense of strength, of hope that this suffering will eventually end. Gujral effortlessly captured the emotional turmoil he witnessed around him and beautifully displayed it across his series of partition paintings.

The second leg of his work began when he went to Mexico to study under Diego Rivera. Here his passion for expressing socio-political statements through his work returned with a strong force. During his time in Mexico, he developed strong expressionist brush- strokes which was visible in first his portraiture work representing famous figure of partition like Indira Gandhi and Nehru, and later in his abstract series. The scholarship through which he was brought to Mexico was to study the art of making murals. The movement in Mexico at the time was using murals to re-establish ethnicity and cultural heritage which was a strong passion of his (“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral)”). It was meant to take art from being a commodified product only meant for the elite to being something even the public could enjoy. Taking this art to the public was seen as a way of being able to make the people familiar with their history and traditions, as well as the struggles of being under the colonial rule and of shedding its weight. Here Gujral was taught to use murals to educate the public about a history, a history not made by the heroes but by even laymen.

After returning to India, he was commissioned to the aforementioned series of portraits of the first family, which led to him meeting his wife. When she became his translator for the world, he shed his dark style of art which is evident in his later works. Much of his work during this period was characterised by abstract spaces dominated by tubular folk coming off of colourful textured backgrounds (Artiana). The forms during this period appear to be almost robotic or mechanical which later carried over into his sculpture work as well (Artiana). His sculpture work was diversified by his inclusion of materials more traditional to Indian artistic styles. "Gujral’s approach to sculptural material is generally transformative; through processes of accretion, such as patinas, pigments or else through the process of abstracting through burning, moulding, gouging or splintering, Gujral achieves his ends” (Bhuyan). This transformative approach is evident in his Burnt Wood Series. Gujral always said  “If you change the idea, the idea will find its own material” (Bhuyan). His passion for understanding the historical significance of an event before creating his work, gave his work a depth that made his work look like it could transport you to the moment in time it was created, not through the realistic depiction of the figures itself, but rather the emotional quality his work holds (Cultural India)

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This visual analysis will focus on a work from Satish Gujral's most recognised series of paintings, the Partitions. The work which I will be focusing on is The Despair (Fig 1) an oil painting he created in 1954 and one of his few titled works.

The Despair is an excellent example of Gujral's work that was influenced by his time in Mexico and his experiences with the partition. The title of the work itself encompasses the meaning of the painting in just two words. It is descriptive of the utter chaos and despair that the partition caused not only for others but Gujral himself. In this painting, you can see his expressionist brushstrokes with their thick application and the flow in the movement of each stroke. Additionally, Gujral has used clear outlines that are very typical of traditional Indian art, giving it a more graphic feel. The way Gujral has used a series of curved strokes in the background show how he is trying to convey a feeling rather than a stationary moment in time. This makes the painting almost timeless, having entrapped the feelings of despair and grief that mark the time of partition.

Another evident signifier of the mood of the painting is his use of dark colours. The painting is mostly made  up of shades of brown and dull yellows getting so dark in some places that it almost looks black such as in the eyes of the figure of the older man with greying hair. Even yellow, which is normally an extremely bright colour that pops of the page has been muted. Each stroke, shadow, and highlight make the figures seem as though they are coming off the page and  reaching out with a cry for help. The bright highlights on the figure in the foreground separate the figure from the two in the background allowing for layers of depth to form within the painting. The disproportionately large hands easily capture the viewer's attention each detail painted in showing the pain and struggle expressed through the clenched fists.

The central figure on his knees looks like he has just lost a loved one with the two figures in the background holding him and lending what comfort they can through their own pain. Gujral's choice to shroud one figure completely  gives the painting a sense of balance preventing it from becoming too overwhelming for the senses and bringing the attention back to the central figure. Still, you can see the strain in the shrouded figures hands even as they hold on to the central figure. The wrinkles between the brows of both the younger looking man as well as the older man accentuate the extent of their sorrow with their brows drawn in a manner that expresses the raw pain that the image is trying to convey. The darkness of both the visible figures eyes show the emptiness caused by all the loss they have been through. The loss is not only of loved ones but of their homes and their pasts leaving no more memories to light up their eyes and stories to reflect in them. The harsh lines drawn into each hand signify the toil that each individual has been through, the way this experience has aged them. Through all of this they still hold each other up and do what they can to comfort each other signifying a hidden message of hope and strength.

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Satish Gujral, The Despair, 1954, oil and mixed media on board.

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Satish Gujral, Ganesha, 1989, wood, leather and nail on board.

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Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2018, acrylic on canvas.

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Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2011, pencil on rice paper.

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Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2013, bronze sculpture.

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Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2017, acrylic on canvas.

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Figure 1. Satish Gujral, The Despair, 1954, oil and mixed media on board,          86 x 86 cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Christie's, https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/satish-gujral-b-1925-the-despair-6019328-details.aspx  Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 2. Satish Gujral, Ganesha, 1989, wood, leather and nail on board, 65cm x 64.7cm x 13.6cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Saffron Art, https://www.saffronart.com/auctions/PostWork.aspx?l=28496 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 3. Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 61cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Chawla Art Gallery, http://www.chawla-artgallery.com/art-details/Satish_Gujral/238 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 4. Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2011, pencil on rice paper, 81.3 sm x 57.1 cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Chawla Art Gallery, http://www.chawla-artgallery.com/art-details/Satish_Gujral/67 November 30, 2020.

Figure 5. Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2013, bronze sculpture, 27.3cm x 21.5cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Chawla Art Gallery, http://www.chawla-artgallery.com/art-details/Satish_Gujral/309 Accessed November 30, 2020.

Figure 6. Satish Gujral, Untitled, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 121.9 cm x 121.9 cm.  Image courtesy of Satish Gujral and Chawla Art Gallery, http://www.chawla-artgallery.com/art-details/Satish_Gujral/239.

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“A Brush with Life (Documentary on Satish Gujral).” YouTube, uploaded by Wide Angle Films, 24 Jan. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yLVbhG7GWs&feature=youtu.be.

Bhuyan, Avantika. “Shades of Life Through Works of Satish Gujral.” Business Standard, 2016, www.business-standard.com/article/specials/shades-of-life-through-works-of-satish-gujral-116010100360_1.html.

Dasgupta, Uma Mahadevan. “Satish Gujral Rhythmically and Obsessively Painted Ordinary Partition Victims.” The Hindu, 3 Apr. 2020,
www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/satish-gujral-rhythmically-and-obsessively-painted-ordinary-partition-victims/article31247444.ece.

Gujral, Satish. A Brush With Life. Penguin Books India, 1998.

“Satish Gujral - Artist Biography, Paintings, Artworks, Auction Records.” Artiana, 2020, satish-gujral.com.

“Satish Gujral Biography - Paintings, Architecture & Artworks, Lief History, Facts.” Cultural India, www.culturalindia.net/indian-art/painters/satish-gujral.html. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.