Vasudeo S. Gaitonde

Vasudeo S. Gaitonde was one of India's most prominent abstract painters. He was born in 1924 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, to Goan parents. He completed his art diploma at Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai in 1948, and joined the influential Bombay Progressive Artists' Group in 1950. He was influenced by Zen philosophy and ancient calligraphy, and developed a unique style of non-objective painting that used subtle colours, textures and forms. He was also interested in music and poetry, and often incorporated musical motifs and symbols in his paintings. Gaitonde had several exhibitions in India and abroad, and received many awards and recognition for his work. He won the first prize at the Young Asian Artists Exhibition in Tokyo in 1957, and received the Rockefeller Fellowship in 1964, which allowed him to travel and work in the United States for a year. He also received the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1971, and the Kalidas Samman in 1989. He was invited to participate in the Venice Biennale in 1958 and 1972, and his paintings are part of many prestigious collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Gaitonde lived and worked in Nizamuddin East area of Delhi for most of his later years. He was a quiet and reclusive person, who preferred to let his paintings speak for themselves. He stopped painting in 1998 due to health issues, and died in 2001 at the age of 77.