Kalapathy Ganapathy Subramanyan was born on 15 February, 1924, in Kerala, Subramanyan studied under the tutelage of Benode Behari Mukherjee, Nandalal Bose and Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan. He graduated from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, there in 1948 after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the Presidency College in Chennai. In 1955, he received a British Council Research Fellowship to the Slade School of Art at the University of London.
K.G. Subramanyan is among the few artists who have explored the possibilities of modern art from a different perspective, giving new dimensions to the human figure by making them appear more as characters from various myths and traditional narratives, populating a composition quite the contrary. As an artist he is extraordinarily versatile, cherishing the facility to work in diverse media, sizes, and techniques over a stylistic conformity to a single medium, genre, size, technique, and manner of visualisation.
A prolific writer, scholar, teacher and art historian, Subramanyan uses his in-depth knowledge of various artistic traditions to create fantastical images of wit and eroticism that are universal in their appeal, yet coupled with iconic symbols drawn from Indian legends and folklore. Subramanyan has time and again aimed at blurring the boundaries between art and the artisan. The artist has also dabbled in glass painting and toy making, even weaving, which is generally considered ‘artisanal’. Even in his written works, the exploration of art as a language or means of communication is a recurring theme. Subramanyan has also illustrated as well as authored fiction for children.
Subramanyan’s work has been exhibited in various group shows and over fifty solo shows including an exhibition in Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 2007.
He has received various awards and honours such as Padma Shree, Kalidas Samman, Padma Bhushan and more recently was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2012.
Subramanyan lives and works in Baroda.
