Hebbar Gallery and Art Centre to come up on Manipal varsity campus

Manipal University, Manipal, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with K K Hebbar Art Foundation to start Hebbar Gallery and Art Centre on the university campus with some works of the renowned artist K K Hebbar, recently.

The public gallery will have about 20-25 paintings from the collection of the foundation and the centre will be located at Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities (MCPH).

Speaking on the occasion, Manipal University Chancellor Dr Ramdas M Pai said it is a privilege to host Hebbar’s original paintings on the university campus. It will be a unique opportunity for the young and old in the community to be inspired by the works of the great artist Hebbar  It is very special for Manipal University to be the location of choice for the Hebbar gallery as he was born at Kattingeri, Udupi and studied at Christian High School, he added.

Pro Chancellor Dr H S Ballal said the university is planning to have a cultural centre in due course of time. “With this centre, we have made a start,” he said.

Vice Chancellor Dr H Vinod Bhat said the gallery would be set up in a couple of months and it would then be opened to public. Hebbar Gallery and Art Centre plans to have workshops and interactive sessions to bring art and artists on a common platform. Eventually, the university has plans to establish a cultural centre promoting music, painting and dance with special emphasis on coastal Karnataka, he added.

Art historian-foundation’s trustee and Hebbar’s daughter Prof Rajani Prasanna said, “We have chosen to present about 25 works. “These are portraits and include a bronze sculpture of Hebbar. The collection includes his famed line drawings. Other portraits include people who influenced him and his works like his mother, wife, Shivaram Karanth as well as national leaders like Nehru, Indira Gandhi and John Kennedy. We hope the gallery will be of interest to and inspire artists, scholars and students alike,” she sated.

She said the foundation was established in 1991-92 to promote art and  culture with emphasis on young and talented artists from all over India. With this in mind, the trust has instituted annual awards at the ‘Monsoon Show’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai since its inception.

Seminars on art are held and distinguished artists are invited as speakers. Grants are awarded to selected artists for executing their Art projects. Art Residency programmes are supported by the foundation. The K K Hebbar Studio space was set up  at Norah Centre, Andretta village, Himachal Pradesh where artists can go and work. Grants are also provided for publishing of books on art in English and Kannada. Most recent project was the exhibition ‘Harvest of Talents 2015’, drawings by 13 Bengaluru artists at Vismaya Gallery, Rangoli-Metro Centre, Bengaluru. Outstanding art activities are encouraged and funded by the trust, she added.