Kripal Singh Shekhawat (1922-2008) was a renowned
craftsman and
ceramist
Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Whil ...
of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. He was famous for his skills in
Blue Pottery of Jaipur
Blue Pottery is widely recognized as a traditional craft of Jaipur of Central Asian origin. The name 'blue pottery' comes from the eye-catching cobalt blue dye used to color the pottery. It is one of many Eurasian types of blue and white potter ...
and is credited for the revival of that art in India.
Life and career
Born in Mau Rajasthan in 1922, he studied original painting at the
Shanti Niketan
Santiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur town in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, approximately 152 km north of Kolkata. It was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, and later expanded by his son ...
in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
and later did a diploma in Oriental Arts from the
Tokyo University, Japan.
He was also the director of Sawai Ram Singh Shilpa Kala Mandir at
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...
where he taught Indian painting and Blue Pottery.
He was conferred the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
in 1974 and was also honoured with the title
Shilp Guru
The Shilp Guru is the highest honour in the Indian handicrafts sector awarded by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It is conferred annually upon 10 master craftspersons who have created an exception ...
by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
in 2002. Unknown to many, Kripal Singh is renowned for his illustrations in the original document of the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
of India.
He died on 15 February 2008 in Jaipur.
Art
A distinguished traditional artist, Kripal Singh's paintings are poetic. They carry the expression of the traditional and early styles of painting with bold innovations in a delicate and refined manner. His works also claim an important historical place in the organic evolution of traditional paintings. There is no one who can create his style of painting with great detail he has shown the birds, clothes, animals flowers which shows the dedication with which he creates a real painting.
Legacy
He revived the art of blue pottery, with the help of patrons such as
Kamladevi Chattopadhyay
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (3 April 1903 – 29 October 1988) was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist. She was most remembered for her contribution to the Indian independence movement; for being the driving force behind the renaissance ...
and Rajmata
Gayatri Devi. He learnt all the secrets of the nearly extinct art as it had been perfected in Jaipur in the 19th century, and made many changes to make it a modern practice. His hard work helped re-establish an entire tradition.
Despite rumours to the contrary, Kripal Kumbh, the pottery studio founded by Kripal Singh Shekhawat is still in operation. It is run by his wife Sajjan Kanwar assisted by her three daughters, Minakshi, Himani and Kumud Rathore.
Works
* Sharma, Bhawani Shankar, and Kripal Singh Shekhawat. 2007. ''Kripal Singh Shekhawat: virtuoso of line and colour''. New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi. Chiefly color reproductions of the works of Indian artist Kripal Singh Shekhawat; includes brief biographical and critical text.
* Khandalavala, Karl J., and Kripal Singh Shekhawat. 1974. ''Wall paintings from Amber''. New Delhi: Lalit Kalā Akademi. Portfolio comprising copies of the now damaged murals made by Kirpal Singh Shekhawat.
* Shesh, Hemant. 1984.''Kripal Singh Shekhawat'' (In Hindi): Artist's detailed Monograph, Jaipur: Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy includes biography and critical analysis on his art and pottery.
References
External links
Blue Pottery by Shri Kripal Singh
{{Ceramics-stub