Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar


Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar better known as K.K. Hebbar was a celebrated artist known for his India themed artworks.

Early life

Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was born in 1911 in Kattingeri near Udupi, India in a Kannada speaking Shivalli Madhwa Brahmin family. Hebbar was inclined towards art from his childhood, because his father was an occasional sculptor who used to make Ganesha idols. Coming from an artistic family background Hebbar pursued art and formally studied at the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai between 1940-1945. Later he studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris. He was corresponding Member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin between 1975-1993.

Career

Hebbar's early artworks were called his Kerala phase because of his depiction of the landscapes of the regions of Malabar and Tulu Nadu. Later he experimented with other themes. Hebbar drew inspiration from myriad sources including the writings of art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy, Jain manuscripts, Rajput and Mughal miniatures, the paintings at the Ajanta Caves, and the art of Amrita Sher-Gil. He also studied at the Academie Julian in Paris, where he developed his appreciation for European modernism. He first won international audiences at the Art Now In India exhibitions in 1965 which were held in London and Brussels. Hebbar participated in various international art exhibitions like the Venice Biennale, São Paulo Art Biennial and Tokyo Biennale. Today, his artworks are considered highly influential in Indian Art History.

Sketches and Paintings

Hebbar won many awards throughout his lifetime including India's fourth and third highest civilian awards the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. Other of his awards include Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, the Bombay Art Society Award, the Bombay State Award, the Lalit Kala Akademi Award, Varna Shilpi K Venkatappa Award, an honorary doctorate from Mysore University, Soviet Land Nehru Award.