Krishna Hawlaji Ara (India, 1914-1985) Untitled (Flowers in a Vase)...

Krishna Hawlaji Ara (India, 1914-1985)
Untitled (Flowers in a Vase)
signed 'Ara' lower right
watercolour on board, framed
76.2 x 55.9cm (30 x 22in).
Provenance
Property from a private collection, Florida.
Acquired from India in the 1930s;
Acquired from the Estate sale of the above.

The life of K.H. Ara was marked by a constant struggle for survival, yet he persisted with his love for art and desire to paint. His relationship with his father and step-mother were challenging and this forced him to abandon his home for Bombay where he worked as a domestic servant. Caught up in the independence movement, he lost his job after partaking in Gandhi's salt satyagraha, which led to his imprisonment. This represented the beginning of a social and political awareness that eventually led to the creation of the Progressive Artists Group alongside five of the most influential modernist artists in India. Here, Ara found the intellectual and formal encouragement that allowed him to further develop his artistic production and define his style. In 1942 he had his first solo show and in 1944 he was awarded the Governor's Prize at the Bombay Society Annual exhibition. Later in his career, his exhibitions became less frequent, as he dedicated most of his later life to helping upcoming artists. Ara remained in India where he died in 1985.

When discussing his artistic production, Ara's lack of formal training is surprising. However, the absence of academic limitations was an advantage that gave his works a raw authenticity. His paintings were free from the structures imposed by the classical standards of the Bengal school and the Western ideals of fine art. Often described as the most intuitive member of the PAG, Ara succeeded in using classical devices to expand the language of his painting, evolving his signature style that loudly emerged from his very early works. Although he is usually compared to Cezanne and Matisse, it would be reductive to think of his work as a mere reflection of Western modernism. Although European modernism represented a source of inspiration, his and the PAG's artistic production was deeply rooted in the historical and social context of 1940s India, the liberation from colonialism and the definition of a newly rediscovered national identity alongside a place of Indian art in the world. Due to his intuitive grasp of the principles of modernism Ara revitalised the entire genre of 'Still Life' in India. Still Life, specifically vases of flowers, represents the hallmark of his artistic production. This painting Untitled (Flowers in a Vase) is an exquisite example of Ara's style and is characterised by a roughness in both drawing and the application of the paint, that seems to overflow from one form to the other. The minimal attention to details and the predominance of colours is evident. Petals merge into each other and yet the choice of different colours makes every single flower stand out in a vibrant bouquet. Particularly significant is the use of white that is frequently applied by the artist to create forms, connect shapes, differentiate the space, and modulate depth and volume. This work demonstrates Ara's ability to turn an apparently till subject into a dynamic triumph of colours.