A day after the demise of 85-year-old Nemai Ghosh (Padma Shri recipient behind the cinematography of many of Satyajit Ray’s films) on March 25, the Indian art community lost another gem, with the passing away of 94-year-old painter, sculptor, muralist and architect Satish Gujral, brother of former Prime Minister of India IK Gujral and recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award. Here, a few of his friends remember him fondly:
Sunaina Anand, Director, Art Alive Gallery
“It’s like the end of a beautiful era. His encouragement to the art world, wit, and contribution, is irreplaceable. It was a great privilege to be closely associated to Satishji. We showed him majorly in many of our shows, and every time, he visited the gallery, he would say, ‘You still have to do my solo’. He was so happy when we told him about the Partition Museum because he had witnessed the Partition and had such vivid memories of it. We were very lucky to document that and he gave us the rights to display his works. I still remember him sitting like a king waiting to talk when I would visit him at home. I’m sure up there he’s cracking a joke in the very interesting way he would talk.”
Ina Puri, art curator, collector & writer
“He had this very difficult handicap (hearing impairment) to content with, but he established an oeuvre that was completely original. Here, was a man who had so much more to deal with in life than you but he was always at the parties. The last time I met him was at Kiran Nadar’s house during the India Art Fair, very nattily dressed, all smiles, made an effort to join everyone of us. Was it just to say goodbye? I don’t know. He was always with Kiran (wife), who would patiently translate what others were saying, doing it humorously… so rare to see two elderly people sharing such deep affection. He belonged to everyone and celebrated life till the last minute.”
Bhavna Kakar, Founder/Director, Latitude 28
“He was remarkable not only for the way he poured out his angst on canvas, but for his versatility. He strode effortlessly from painting to sculpture to architecture. The design and architecture of Belgian Embassy is one such masterpiece by him. He was always kind and humorous. He used to tell so many anecdotes in Punjabi. Whenever we met, I would try to practice my not so fluent Punjabi, especially when we spoke about his beloved Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, and my alma mater Government College of Art, Chandigarh, of which he had several wonderful associations. It’s sad that we have lost him at a time when we can’t pay our last respects to him personally.”
Bose Krishnamachari, President, Kochi Biennale Foundation
“Meeting Satishji in Bombay or Delhi was always a warm experience. His family was very close to me, his daughter-in-law (Feroze Gujral) is on the Kochi Biennale board as a trustee. He was more of a sculptor than a painter; his lines, textures, even his paintings felt sculptural. For me, he’s one of the greatest sculptors in Indian art.”
Renu Modi, Director, Gallery Espace
“Satishji was one of the most warm, loving affectionate artists I ever knew. He was a family friend and I knew him much before I opened the gallery. He always encouraged me to do good shows. He was one of the very few artists who depicted the trauma of Partition that he did with such sensitivity and pathos.”