A. Ramachandran (b.1935)

Birla Academy, Kolkata, Reality in Search of Myth, 1994

Light abrasions with small areas of paint loss center left edge, lower right corner, and lower edge. Colors somewhat brighter than in catalogue illustration; skin color is a much brighter, more vivid spring green than olive tone shown in catalogue illustration.
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In the 1980s, Ramachandran shifted his interest from urban cityscapes and began to create powerful imagery based on tribal communities in Rajasthan, such as the current work. Indigenous decorative elements merged to the forefront of the artist's efforts. Floral rangoli decorative patterns, such as those which can be found on floors of courtyards and homes in Rajasthan and other regions during Hindu festival seasons, adorn the background of Ramachandran's portraits. These designs compete with the fabulous colors and intricate patterns of the fabrics in which the desert women enshroud themselves.  

In these energetic depictions of tribal women, Ramachandran devotes great emphasis to the heavy, ornate ethnic jewelry as well as the vibrant saris, petticoats and costumes. Gazing dispassionately from Ramachandran's canvases, these women confront the viewer with a quiet, poignant beauty much like Gauguin's ubiquitous Tahitian women.  

The narrative styling and visual drama of Ramachandran's large-scale works is derived in part from his extraordinary background in traditional Indian art history and epic literature. In 1957, the artist received his MA in Malayalam literature; then pursued a diploma in Fine Arts at Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan; in 1964, he completed his doctoral thesis on Keralan mural painting; and finally dedicated himself to art history instruction as Professor Emeritus at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi until his retirement in 1992.