Hariram Hiranandani - an Internationally acclaimed painter-Landscapist of the English School

Bio-brief

Hariram Hiranandani (b. 1925) is a veteran landscape painter based in New Delhi.

Born in Pakistan, then a part of undivided India, Hariram Hiranandani accomplished his academic training from Polytechnic, Delhi in 1958 followed by a further persuasion from Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay in 1960 besides training in Jaipur (Rajasthan) in 1976. Hariram has had several solo shows, the most recent being Nature’s Notations at Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi in October 2009 and at Lalit Kala Akademi organized by Sindhi Academy, Delhi (Govt. of NCT Delhi) in 2010.

The league of one-man exhibitions include Oil Color painting shows in 1999, 1969, 1966; Water Color painting shows in 1995, 1994, 1968, 1956; and Gouache Color painting shows in 1998, 1996. Group Participations include Art Camps in 2010-2012, AIFACS Art Camps in 2004, 2005, 2006; Art Camp in Mauritius in 2003; Platinum Jubilee Celebration AIFACS 2002; Participation in International Academy of Fine Art in 2000; Annual Painting Exhibitions AIFACS from 1996 to 2001; Exhibition in Mexico in 1995; Participation in Sahitya Kala Parishad in 1970-71, 1996; Indian Akademi of Fine Arts, Amritsar; AIFACS Member Artists Art Exhibition in Bombay in 1967; National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1958-58, 1967; Art Exhibition of Delhi Polytechnic, Delhi in 1957.

The artist has served as the Chairman of AIFACS (All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi) for 10 years. Hariram in his revered journey as an artist has been coveted with several prestigious awards and honors. Hariram has been nominated as the member of the governing body of Sindhi Academy, Delhi (Govt. of NCT Delhi) in 2012. Hariram was also invited to be part of the series of ‘Meet the Artist’ organised by Sindhi Academy, Delhi (Govt. of NCT Delhi) at Lalit Kala Akademi in 2011 with presentation of his paintings and a dialogue about his oeuvre. He was also the leader of delegation to Organizing Committee of Beijing, International Art Biennale in 2003, China. The artist was presented with Kala Shiromani Awards by Sindhi Academy, Delhi (Govt. of NCT Delhi) in 2012 and Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution in the field of Art/Culture by Smt. Sheela Dikshit Chairperson, Sindhi Academy, Delhi (Govt. of NCT Delhi) Chief Minister, Delhi in 2011. He was also coveted with a Seal on Platinum Jubilee of AIFACS in 2003, Kala Ratan Award by AIFACS in 2001 and Sindhu Ratan Award for Outstanding Contribution in the field of Fine Arts was bestowed on Hariram in 1995. Besides, the artist has been honored as a Veteran Artist and awarded Kala Shree by AIFACS in 1988. The artist lives and works in New Delhi.

Hariram Hiranandani - Landscapist of the English School

About Hariram Hiranandani’s art

Fascinated by the art of delineating lines from his childhood that formed structures, shapes and weaved narratives, Hariram Hiranandani grew up to become one of the most revered and critically acclaimed names in the genre of landscape painting in India. The artist’s first solo exhibition was held in 1956 at Dhomimal Ramchand’s Gallery in Connaught Place. The artist since then has had several group and solo exhibitions and some his works have been acquired by President’s House, Lalit Kala Akademi, French Embassy and many other public and private collections. The artist was also invited by the French charge-de-Affairs in the 60s to visit France. The artist became prominent member of one of the oldest and renowned society of arts, AIFACS and later on becoming the Chairman of Society. From making an extremely humble beginning as a school teacher, to being famously named the watercolorist of the English school, the artist at 87 today prolifically sweeps huge canvasses with an utter ease, working more than five hours a day.

Through a variety of picturesque works, the artist favors the elemental sacredness inherent in nature letting imagination’s butterflies flutter to free, resplendent thoughts. Hiranandani envisions in fresh, dynamic strokes a perspective of good life distancing the work thematically from the political commitment and social divergence of much of the work being made today. Indeed, it is the celebration of the spectacular through the grandeur of nature aided by the ingenious and graceful painterly quality resonating in each of the canvasses. The interplay of oil - overlays and textured surfaces works to dematerialize the nature metaphor creating a current between light and matter. One little aware of the French countryside panorama, can acutely locate the ethereal inspiration and draft that precludes the aesthetic trail of his pictorial surface. In tandem, presented and henceforth realized, is a very suggestive glimpse of the usually obscured factors likes the air, wind, earth and dispositional factors of the vista that are a final accomplice of Hiranandani’s oeuvre.

As stated by critics…

The artist exerts commendable control on the water-borne medium handling it with severe disciplines. Comfortably at ease and self-assured, the artist’s emotive responses betray no nervousness, a fact established by calm attitudes of his brush work, in depicting the divergent aspects of a scene…
- K.L. Kaul, The Statesman, 1994

Mr. Hiranandani methodically uses the traditional practice of under painting with a light tint to bring out recessions and projections by over painted colours, areas, and he has succeeded in touching the poetics of the landscape.
- The Hindu, 1994

The transparency of colours comes through with such ease that one is taken in by the play of light and shade, expressed through colours. And the beauty of this exercise is that this effect is obtained with such economy of colours that one is left wondering about the dexterous hand of the artist.
- R.S. Yadav

In his late 60s and convalescing from a serious illness, Hariram Hiranandani surprises us with his numerous landscapes in watercolour, now on view at the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) gallery on Rafi Marg in New Delhi. Mr. Hiranandani had been honoured by AIFACS in 1988 as a veteran artist. He is also the Vice-President of the Society. He is a watercolourist of the English school, and all his landscapes are marked by a fine handling of the medium. His grasp of the language of transparent watercolour is evident in his 30 landscapes, most of which he painted on the spot, and some from memory.
- Santo Dutta, The Hindu, 1994

Hariram Hiranandani, one of our senior artists who will be seventy next year, exhibited (AIFACS) his paintings, all watercolours in the original western but now universal manner. Carefully composed in depth and several planes, these are delightful panoramas, colour and tone maintaining fidelity to nature. The best works are those where the line develops a graphic quality.
- Krishna Chaitanya, The Hindustan Times, 1994

Kamlesh Hiranandani

Kamlesh Hiranandani is a Delhi-based graphic designer and an artist holding B.F.A. from the reputed College of Art, New Delhi in 1978. KAM Studio, a leading Graphic Design firm operating for over 30 years in Delhi was founded by him offering a splendid range of services from conceptualizing, designing to printing. His known designs for book jacket covers include Bhawana Somaaya’s Amitabh Bachchan, Shiv Khera’s You Can Win and a coffee table book From Residency To Raj Bhawan. KAM Studio has also designed murals for the Noida office of Brakewell besides an installation of Macmillan Publication Stall for UK World Book Fair for 2 consecutive years from 2003-05. Infusing a versatile dimension to its work, KAM Studio has designed and commissioned Tabloid for 26th January in 2000 for Indian Navy. The firm has also conceptualized and designed panels for the MACO stall at Auto Expo Fair and for Replica Press at Frankfurt World Book Fair in years 2005 and 2006.
In his capacity as an artist, Kamlesh has held a solo show at India Habitat Centre in 2000. He has also participated in Group show by Lalit Kala Parishad in 2000; Annual Art Exhibition by AIFACS from 2000 to 2006; Camlin Group Show in 2006 and All India Photo Exhibition by AIFACS in 2006.

Sheela Khubchandani
Born
1954 New Delhi

Qualification
1975 B.F.A.(Painting) College of Art, New Delhi