The centenary exhibition of K.G. Subramanyan, curated by K.S. Radhakrishnan from the Takshila Education Society’s art collection, reveals the rich tapestry of the artist’s genius. K. G. Subramanyan often referred to as Mani Da, was a renowned artist, art teacher, designer, author, and philosopher of art. Takshila’s outstanding collection of artworks subtly displays Mani Da’s full body of work, demonstrating the diversity of his pieces from the early 1960s to the end of his life.

The exhibition was inaugurated on the 15th of February to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mani Da. The exhibition was held in Santiniketan.

 The Takshila Education Society received assistance from K.S. Radhakrishnan, which made this collection feasible. Takshila was skillfully accumulating a substantial collection of works by both established and up-and-coming Indian painters at the time. Radhakrishnan reviewed the vast collection of Subramanyan’s writings that Naveen Kishore of Seagull Books was holding during this time. This collection, which included works in lithographs, etchings, pen and ink, watercolors, oils, and even terracotta, demonstrated the artist’s versatility across a range of media.

The three main sections of the exhibition are executed elegantly. As soon as you walk in, the artist’s most recent pieces have a vibrant quality that is reminiscent of Mani Da’s final works from 2015. After that, there’s a trip through time with pieces from the 1990s to the early 2000s in the next portion. Here, one may see the range of media he worked in and gain insight into his artistic diversity. A treasure trove of Mani Da’s works from the 1960s to the 1980s awaits visitors as they go to gallery three.

K.S. Radhakrishnan, the exhibition’s conceptualizer, intends to provide a nuanced examination of the artist’s body of work, encouraging spectators to recognize the breadth and depth of his output.

Priyanka Dutta