Ramkinkar Baij (1906 - 1980)
Ramkinkar Baij was the earliest Indian artist to experiment with abstract sculptural forms. His oil on canvas paintings have a singular experimenting quality going beyond their time, unregimented by dogmas and with only one commitment - to be unstintingly creative.
Born in Bankura in West Bengal in 1906, Ramkinkar Baij studied at the Kala Bhavan, Vishwa Bharati University, Santiniketan in 1925. Trained by two European sculptors, one of whom was a disciple of Bourdelle, who was on a visit to Santiniketan on an invitation by Tagore, his style was still uniquely his own. Groomed by his mentors, Nandalal Bose and Tagore, the clay modeller turned artist. Working at a time when traditional art was transitioning to modern art, Baij's work proved to be crucial to Indian art history. Nature and Baij's own folk background turned out to be the crucial influences in the formation of his own style. Later, he headed the Department of Sculpture at the Kala Bhavan.
He integrated elements of Santhal tribal art and life into his own work and enhanced them with an understanding of Western expressionism that was gleaned from books at the library of the Kala Bhavan.
A retrospective of his works was held at the National Gallery of Art, New Delhi in 2012. His works are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and in several private and public collections.
Baij died on August 2, 1980, in Kolkata.
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