miscellany - Art with a difference

Abdul Rahim Appabhai Almelkar, popularly known as A A Almelkar, is a well-known artist, known for his unique artistic style. Most of his art work has been influenced by the traditional Indian ethos. Born on October 10, 1920 in Ahemdabad, Gujarat, Almelkar began painting at an early age of seven. Almelkar hails from Almel in the Sindagi taluk of Vijayapura district, where he also stayed briefly as a child. Even today, his old house can be seen in the town of Almel.

Almelkar’s distinctive style and bold strokes mark the coming together of the modern and the traditional styles. This new approach towards painting left an indelible mark in the word of Indian art. Because of the favourable responses he received for his work, he felt confident to lead his crusade against the academic realism.

Almelkar pursued his initial art education in Nutan Kala Mandir, Mumbai in 1940. Later, in 1948, he obtained a diploma in Drawing and Painting from the J J School of Arts, Mumbai. Almelkar created his paintings by making a skillful use of luminous colours and decorative elements in a variety of compositions. He preferred khaki mount boards to canvas. Many times, he applied colours with his fingers instead of a brush. Texture was created by using materials such as jute and comb. This soon became the hallmark of Almelkar’s style. Several upcoming artists have also adopted his style. Artists from Hyderabad-Karnataka and Bombay-Karnataka side have specifically been influenced by his style.

Almelkar had 25 exhibitions to his credit and the last one was held at Jehangir Art Gallery in November 1968. Paintings like Tribal Priest, Malabar Maiden, and Garden of Allah were displayed there. A catalogue with the title Silver Jubilee was printed. The exhibition was a great success and many paintings were sold. He also has 44 solo exhibitions to his credit which were held not only in India but in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia too.

It is unfortunate that, though Almelkar belongs to Karnataka, he is nearly forgotten here. He is known for his paintings based on rustic rural life and folk forms of Karnataka and other states. He had given live demonstrations for art students in various colleges across the State. The paintings that emerged from these demonstrations can be seen in reputed art institutes across Karnataka.

He travelled in the coastal areas of the State during the 1970s with Vijaypur-based painter M B Patil to study the life of people living there and depict them in his paintings. D V Halbhavi, J S Khanderao and Andani V G — who founded the art schools JSS Halbhavi School of Art in Dharwad, The Ideal Fine Art Institute and the Fine Arts Institute in Kalaburagi respectively — had the paintings that Almelkar made to remain permanently at their art institutes. In 1960, Almelkar received a national award from the Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi. He breathed his last on December 12, 1982. His paintings are currently being displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai until August 15, 2016. The exhibition entitled ‘A A Almelkar — Inspiration and impact’ is curated by noted artist Suhas Bahulkar and designed by Arvind Hate. A book has also published about Almelkar’s life and his works.