Born on 26 March, 1934 in a small village named Valod of Gujarat, Haku Shah was a renowned figurative artist from Baroda School. The emotions of folk and tribal art of India inspired his skillset. An eminent artist, a cultural anthropologist, teacher, Gandhian, an author of international repute on folk and tribal art, Haku Shah has spread his artistic wings in varied aspects of art.
Associated with the National Institute of Design right from its inception in the early 1960’s, he was invited by Dr. Stella Kramrisch in 1967 to curate the seminal exhibition, “Unknown India” which travelled to the USA.
He established a tribal museum at Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad, which was set up by Mahatma Gandhi. He has conducted various art and design workshops and lectured across the world. He also taught at the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad for several years and was Regent Professor at the University California, Davis.
Haku art. He was the Chairman and Founder Trustee of Bhooma, Lok Shilpa Sansthan. He was awarded `Kala-Gaurava’ by Gujarat Lalit Kala Akademi for his immense contribution to art. He has also been associated with the Museum of Mankind, London; the Tropical Museum, Amsterdam; and the Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art in San Diego, California.
Among his many accomplishments and Haku art masterpieces, Shah also contributed to the Film Industry, creative workshops, and much more.
Films:
1978 “Pithoro, the Tribal God”, for the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1970 “Scraps”, made with Yvonne Hannemann, Ahmedabad and USA
Creativity Workshops:
1985 “Hands”, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
1987 “Sun”, by Craft Council of India, Madras
1988 “River”, Environmental Society of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
1989 “Hands”, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence
1991 “Hands”, University of California, Davis
Awards and Honours:
1968 Rockefeller Fellow, U.S.A.
1971 Nehru Fellowship Award, New Delhi
1973 Civic Award, Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad
1989 Padma Shri Award for Art, President of India
1991 Regents’ Professor, University of California, U.S.A.
1997 Kala Ratna, All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, New Delhi
1998 Kala Shiromani, Lalit Kala Akademi, Ahmedabad
2006 Gagan Abani Puraskar, Shantiniketan
2011 Sanmaan, Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad
In observing Haku art, the men and women painted emerge from the long enduring substratum of tribal – rural India. Their spirit is unaffected by fashionable obsolescence. Yet, they evoke compellingly contemporary styles in their tender gregariousness, in their moments of simple joys and wonder, sadness and hope. Haku Shah’s men and women occupy a pictorial space with the steadfast presence of an icon…‘ (Ref. Santo Dutta)
Haku Shah passed away on 21st March 2019, leaving behind a legacy to be remembered by all aspiring artists.
