One to Watch

The recent auctions in New York showed that, without a doubt, the market for Indian contemporary art remains strong and prices are most certainly on an upward climb. It was no surprise that works by the Progressive Artists Group grabbed the most attention or that younger artists like B. Phabha and Atul Dodiya also continue to sell well as they have done in recent years. The final sales results posted on Christie’s and Sotheby’s websites suggests that another artist seems to have made the leap into the big time--his name is K. K Hebbar.

A tempera on paper by Hebbar, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 went for $28,800 at Christie’s; at Sotheby’s the next day, three of his works sold for $42,000, $66,000, and $216,000. It seems collectors of his works may have known a good thing when they saw it—for others, the name may have not yet achieved the status among his contemporaries of Souza, Raza, Gaitonde, and Husain. A brief biography of the man as artist may help to explain his sudden rise in popularity and in value.

Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was born in 1911 in the Udupi district of Karnataka. His father, also an artist, sculpted clay idols of Lord Ganesha during festivals, which convinced his son to also pursue a career in that field. He received his diploma from the Sir J J School of Art in 1938, and taught art at the School from 1940 to 1945. A visit to Europe in 1949 exposed him to some of the best works in western art and he finally settled down to study at the Academy Julian in Paris. Despite training in the Western tradition, and influenced by such artists as Paul Gaugin, Hebbar remained rooted to the folk tradition of his upbringing.

Hebbar held that an artist's role was to tell the truth about his feelings without bringing in other ideas. His opposition to politicizing art was the reason why he never joined the Progressive Artists' Group. Nevertheless, he played an active part in the organization of artists in Bombay. His concern with the human condition made him focus on themes like poverty, hunger and the destruction wrought by war. Hebbar never ceased to experiment; combined with forceful strokes, his style is both impressionistic and expressionistic.

Although K. K. Hebbar died at the age of 85 in 1996, he will be best remembered for his humanistic paintings that draw from Indian colors and forms.

That he remained true to himself, his art, and his cultural roots, may be one reason for his surging popularity. Whatever the reason, Hebbar’s paintings and the prices paid for them are sure to be watched in coming months.