F.N. Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Portrait), 1961, oil on canvas, 26. x 23 in.

Primitivism and Modern Indian Art, DAG, The Claridges, New Delhi
December 18, 2021-January 25, 2022

Although primitivism in modern Indian art arose partly in response to developments in the West, the meanings and experience of primitivism in the Indian context must differ markedly. While Western artists went in search of an elusive, idealized “noble savage,” urban Indian artists, seeking to assert their authentic identity, drew inspiration from the least colonized segments of their own society. The sixteen artists, including Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, F.N. Souza, and M.F. Husain, featured in this exhibition together represent a broad spectrum of the ways in which primitivism has manifested itself in modern Indian painting and sculpture. These artists were chosen to explore a range of manifestations of primitivism in Indian art and to try and sketch its history. Visiting DAG New Delhi in person or online will provide rewarding insight into this distinctive movement in Indian modern art history.

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