Satish Gujral

Satish Gujral was an Indian painter, sculptor, muralist, writer and architect who was known for his versatility and originality in various forms of art. He was born on 25 December 1925 in Jhelum, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family. He was the son of Indian politician Avtar Narain Gujral and the brother of I. K. Gujral, the 12th Prime Minister of India. His sister-in-law, Sheila Gujral, was a noted Hindi poet and his nephew Naresh Gujral is also a politician. Gujral lost his hearing at the age of eight due to a swimming accident. He faced many difficulties in his education and social life due to his disability. He developed an interest in painting and joined the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore in 1939 to study applied arts. He later moved to Bombay in 1944 and enrolled in the Sir JJ School of Art. However, he had to drop out of school and leave Bombay in 1947 due to a recurring illness. In 1952, he received a scholarship to study at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, where he was apprenticed to the renowned artists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. He learned the art of mural painting from them and was influenced by their social realism style. He also met Frida Kahlo and Octavio Paz during his stay in Mexico. Gujral returned to India in 1954 and held his first solo exhibition of paintings and graphics at Delhi Shilpi Chakra. He also participated in various national and international exhibitions and biennales. His works reflected his sensitivity to the human condition and the socio-political events of his time. He depicted the agony of the Partition of India, the anguish of human relationships, the plight of refugees and migrants, the horrors of war and violence, and the quest for identity and freedom. Gujral was also an architect and designed many buildings and complexes in India and abroad. His design of the Belgium Embassy in New Delhi was selected by the international forum of architects as one of the finest buildings built in the 20th century. He also designed the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture in Mauritius, the Goa University in Goa, and the Embassy of India in Kathmandu. Gujral was also a writer and published his autobiography A Brush with Life in 1997. He also wrote several books on art criticism, such as Beyond The Canvas: An Unfinished Portrait Of A Painter (2006) and A Journey Within: The Creative Process (2011). Gujral received many awards and honours for his contributions to art and culture. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of India, in 1999. He also received the National Award for Painting in 1956, the National Award for Sculpture in 1972 and 1974, the State Honour from the Government of Punjab in 1979, the Order of the Crown from Belgium in 1983, the Leonardo da Vinci Award in 1989, and the Desikottama from Santiniketan in 1989. Gujral regained his hearing after a surgery in 1998, after 62 years of silence. He continued to create art until his last days. He died on 26 March 2020 in New Delhi due to multiple organ failure. He was survived by his wife Kiran, his son Mohit, his daughters Alpana and Raseel, and his grandchildren. He was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium in New Delhi.