Ramkinkar Baij

Place: Bankura

Born: 1906

Death: 1980

Biography:

Ramkinkar Baij was a renowned Indian sculptor and painter, considered the Father of Modern Indian Sculpture. Born on May 25, 1906, in Bankura, India, he is celebrated for his pioneering work in modern Indian art. Baij's artistic journey began at a young age, and he went on to become a key figure of Contextual Modernism.

Early Life and Career

Baij was born into an economically modest family in West Bengal, India. His surname derived from Boidda (Baidya) and Boijo, which he later abandoned in 1925. At the age of 16, he got noticed by the renowned journalist Ramananda Chatterjee for his portraits of Indian freedom fighters involved in the Non-Cooperation Movement against the British rulers of India. Four years later, Ramkinkar joined the Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan as a student of fine arts.

Life and Work

Under the guidance of Nandalal Bose and encouraged by the liberating intellectual environment shaped by Rabindranath Tagore, Baij's artistic skills and intellectual horizons acquired new depth and complexity. He became a member of the faculty at Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan, and played a decisive role in making Santiniketan the most important center for modern art in pre-Independence India. Some of Baij's notable works include:

• Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore, a painting that depicts the famous Bengali polymath and Nobel laureate, available on Wikioo.org.
• Santal Family, a monumental public sculpture that represented the tribal peasants of the region, giving the figures iconic presence and dignified grace.
• His sculptures can be found in various museums, including the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, India.

Baij's use of cement and laterite mortar to model his figures, and his personal style that brought together modern western and Indian pre-classical sculptural values, was radical for its time. With his seminal work, Santal Family, he established himself as the undoubted modern Indian sculptor.

Awards and Recognition

Baij was conferred the Padma Bhushan Award in 1970 for his outstanding contributions to modern Indian sculpture. His work has been recognized globally, and he is considered one of the most important figures in Indian art. For more information on Ramkinkar Baij's life and work, visit Wikioo.org or Wikipedia. His legacy continues to inspire artists and art enthusiasts around the world.