Kattinigeri Krishna Hebbar hailing from a Tulu speaking family from Udupi and whose rise to fame from extremely humble means and challenging circumstances, did not deter his meteoric growth and acceptance in equal measure from peers and competitors galore. Fortunate to be under the tutelage and tactile guidance of CR Gerrard, the then Director of JJ School of Art, KK Hebbar graduated with a GD in Art in 1938.
Accolades and crimson neon of recognition with Padmashri & Padma Bhushan in a long list of gilt edged podiums, KK Hebbar and his oeuvre has multiple genres and aesthetic esperanto in a repertoire that is counted amongst the best from the modernists’ period. Story boards and parables of topicality and life, his art works evoke patterns and emerge to resonate with timeless charm, even in the present times.
Legends and bespoke folklore rest and dwell with ease in his rendition and a sterling pallete to fathom earthy resonance of visual engagement. Art at various levels is about wanton freedom as also relevance of a social commentary on cultural inheritance and realism. Kattinigeri Krishna Hebbar embodied all these elements with nuanced verve. His sense of realism had a lyrical tilt, typically associated with various art forms of Dakhshina Kannada and yet, a universality of symbolism.
There have been a few art works of KK Hebbar that were on show recently at the CKP Bengaluru. One hopes that a full scale visual renaissance is very much the need of the hour, to celebrate the inspiration of a legend KK Hebbar.
A very coveted artist by both art lovers,connoisseurs and collectors, salutations to the genteel soul that exists and continues to regale through a mint legacy of art gifted by Kattinigeri Krishna Hebbar.
Courtesy : Kiran Bagade (FB)
