Artist of traditional surpur miniature paintings and a dedicated collector of art based in Kalburgi, Karnataka.

Contact: C/o Abhay R Patil, Plot No. 51/1, Kotambri layout, Behind Central Bus Stand, 585103. Mobile: 9480942377. email: vijay.hagargundgi@gmail.com

Education:

• Diploma in Fine Arts, The Ideal Fine Arts Institute, Gulbarga. 1980.
• Studied Vijayanagar (Surapura Garudadri school) miniature painting.
• Further studies of miniature paintings, under the tutelage of Sri Dwarka Prasad Sharma of Rajasthan, with an emphasis on the gold leaf application on gesso.
• Learnt and practiced the French bronze hollow casting of lost wax process (cire purdue) under well known sculptor Sri Pushpa Betala.

Achievements in Painting:

After thorough, indepth, exhaustive study and practice of miniature style paintings of North as well as South India, I have evolved ‘Vijay Hagargundgi’ style of miniatures. My paintings and drawings are true to the traditional idiom of miniatures and at the same time imbibed with contemporary sensibilities.

• Knowledge of traditional colour preparation and brush making using natural materials.
• Mastered the technique of drawing lines more delicate than a spider’s web.
• Mastered the technique of applying gold leaves on the fine lead gamboz (makki safeda) gesso.
• 1980s – Created 30 exquisite paintings of Dashavatara for the songs of well known thumri and ghazal artiste, Ms. Naina Devi.
• 1987 – I created the first ever Ragamala paintings series in Surapura style. This series depicted 36 Ragas, 7 Talas and 7 Swaras of the composite Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions based on mid 19^th century encyclopedia ‘Sri Tattvanidhi’ of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.
• 1994 – Created 18 drawings and a miniature painting for the Kalluru Linganna’s ‘Baramasa’ (Editor: Shantarasa; Publisher: Kannada University, Hampi)
• 2000 – Paintings based on Raga, Swara and Tala origins of Carnatic music.
• Painted about 700 miniatures till date.
• Surapura style is mostly known for its Vaishnava subjects. In about 400 years of existence of Surapura style, for the first time I have composed and created new subjects like – Ashta Dikpalakas, Navagrahas and Nakshatras. In addition, I have created innumerable paintings based on Shiva Leela, Shiva Purana and Uddharanis.
• 2005 – Created 20 unique miniature as well as canvas paintings of homo-erotic subject.
• Created miniatures based on contemporary and common life.
• Miniatures based on erotic subjects.
• Created one drawing for each ghazal and a painting for the cover of the book ‘Ghazal’, a compilation of 47 ghazals of Shantarasa.
• Created 40 miniature drawings for the book of Muktayakka’s ghazals.
• Cover painting for the book ‘Kaadina Beru’, a compilation of short stories of Jnanapeetha awardee Amrita Preetam, translated by Shantarasa.
• A 50 sq.ft. mural at the Neemrana fort palace, Rajasthan. ·         Created miniatures for the play, ‘Chitrapata Ramayana’ produced by well known theatre personality Smt. B. Jayashree.

Awards and Recognitions:

• 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983 – Karnataka Lalitakala Academy Award.
• 1980 – Scholarship of Karnataka Lalitakala Academy.
• 1981 – 11^th All India Exhibition, Hyderabad.
• 1983 – All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi (AIFACS Award).
• 1993 – 8^th All India Exhibition, Bijapur.
• 1994 – 8^th All India Arts Competition, South Central Cultural Zone, Nagpur.
• 1996 – Mallikarjun Mansoor Pratishtana Award, Raichur.
• 2012 – Honorary Doctorate, Gulbarga University.
• 2013 – Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.

Exhibitions:

• 1983, 1986, 1993 – Solo exhibition, New Delhi.
• 1987 – Solo exhibition, Baroda.
• 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990 – Solo exhibition, Bangalore.
• 1987, 1988, 1989, 2000 – Art in Action, Oxford, United Kingdom.
• 1991 – Solo exhibtion, Mumbai.
• 1995 – Art Today (Sponsor: India Today), New Delhi.
• 1997 – Solo exhibition, Vikasa Bhavan, Gulbarga.
• 2000 – Nehru Centre, London, United Kingdom.
• 2001 – Gallery E’space, New Delhi.

Participation in Art Camps and Workshops:

• 1979 – Artists Camp, Hyderabad. Organiser: Regional Central Lalitakala Akademi, Chennai.
• 1984 – Artists Camp, Vidyanagar, Bangalore.  Organiser: Karnataka Lalitakala Academy.
• 1985 – Artists Camp, Vishwa Kannada Sammelana, Mysore.
• 1986 – Artists Camp, SAARC Summit, Bangalore.
• 1993 – Traditional Artists Camp, Hampi. Organiser: Kannada University, Hampi.
• 1993 – Traditional Artists Camp, Bhopal. Organiser: Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal.
• 1993 – Traditional Artists Camp, Mysore. Organiser: South Central Cultural Zone, Nagpur.
• 1994 – Traditional Artists Camp, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. Organiser: Lalitakala Academies of Karntaka and Himachal Pradesh.
• 1995 – Print Making Camp, Bhopal.
• 1999 – Traditional and Folk Artists Camp, Tumkur. Organiser: South Central Cultural Zone, Nagpur.
• 2008 – Chitrasiri Art Camp, Mudbidri. Organiser: Dr. Mohan Alva.
• 2009 – Karanth Memorial Art Camp, Namma Bhoomi, Kundapura.
• 2010 – Art Camp, Mararikulam. Organiser: Kerala Lalitakala Academy.
• 2010 – Varnamrita, Mysore. Organiser: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana.
• 2011 – International Sculpture and Painting Symposium, Gulbarga. Organiser: Sri Guru Vidyapeeta.
• 2012 – Artists Residency, Mumbai. Organiser: Reliance Industries.
• 2013 – Artist Residency, 1 Shantiroad, Bangalore.

My Paintings enhance the collection of…

Institutions:

• Folklore Museum, University of Mysore, Mysore.
• Karnataka Lalitakala Academy, Bangalore.
• Lalitakala Akademi, Regional Centre, Chennai.
• Andhra Pradesh Lalitakala Academy, Hyderabad.
• Central Lalitkala Akademi, New Delhi.
• Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore.
• Government Museum, Bangalore.
• Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore.
• Modern Art Gallery, New Delhi.
• Sanskriti Mauseum, New Delhi.
• South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur.
• Himachal Pradesh Lalitkala Academy, Simla.
• Neemrana Fort Palace, Rajasthan.
• Reliance Industries, Mumbai.
• Suttur Museum, Suttur, Mysore District.
• Heritage Village, Manipal.
• Koti Chennayya Theme Park, Karkala, Udupi District.
• Shiroor Matha, Udupi.
• Museum of Sacred Art, Brussels, Belgium.
• Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysore.

Individuals:

• Dr. Karan Singh
• Biju Patnaik
• Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), UK’s well known actor.
• Naina Devi, Thumri artiste.
• Naveen Pattnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha.
• Lekha Poddar (Birla family).
• Aman Nath.
• Francis Wacziac.
• Lord Slynn of Hadlee.
• Nathan David.
• Betron Nay Luxembourg.
• Brian Wright.
• Chiranjeev Singh.
• Dr. S.S. Shettar.
• Renuka Narayana.
• R.G. Singh.

I am influenced by:

Painting and Sculpture:

• A. A. Almelkar
• K. K. Hebbar
• S. M. Pandit
• Dwaraka Prasad Sharma
• Davalakunda Vadiraj

Music:

• Begum Akhtar
• Naina Devi
• Shobha Gurtu

My Interests and Passions:

• Listening to vocals of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music.
• Indepth study of all aspects of folk art and crafts.
• Collecting antique artefacts.

Collection of Antique Artefacts:

Paintings:

• Surapura Garudadri style original paintings: 40 nos. 1685 to 1905 C.E.
• Tantrik, Yoga style Uddharani scroll paintings – 06 nos.; Palm Leaf – 01 no.; Half Painting – 04 nos.; Semi Text – 02 nos.; Palm Leaf Manuscripts – 02 nos.; Manuscripts on Paper – 04 nos.
• One chapter of the ‘Sri Tattvanidhi’ original manuscript (mid 19^th century) – ‘Swara Choodamani’ by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (Mummadi) of Mysore.
• Mysore miniature paintings, each of size 24” x 36” – 10 nos.
• Tanjore paintings – 05 nos.
• Glass paintings in Tanjore style – 25 nos.
• Yadrami (Jewargi Taluk) paintings, circa 1700 CE – 06 nos.
• Bidar miniature paintings, circa 1700 CE – 13 nos.
• Cover planks of old palm leaf manuscripts with miniature paintings

Metal Sculptures:

• Buddha face, terracotta, found in Sannati. Kushana, 2^nd century CE.
• 24 Tirthankaras, bronze, Chalukya, 9^th century CE.
• Figures of dieties, bronze, 20 nos., Vijayanagara, 16^th century CE.
• Navaneeta Krishna and Lakshmi, Silver, Vijayanagara, 16^th century CE.
• Murali Krishna, copper, 06 nos., Vijayanagara, 16^th century CE.
• Durga, bronze, 20 nos., Vijayanagara, 16^th century CE.
• Mukha Linga, bronze, 20 nos., Vijayanagara, 16^th century CE.
• Deepalakshmi
• Vyaghrapada
• Ganesha
• Pancha Deepastree
• Malhari, 20 nos.
• Veerabhadra, 20 nos.
• Bell, bronze, weighs 80 kgs.
• Figures of Elephants, Horses and Camels

Wooden Artefacts:

• Door frames and shutters with intricate carvings, 20 nos.
• Ornate pillars, 20 nos.
• Ornate window frames with shutters, 2 nos.