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South Asian Modernists 1953-63

Exploring the works of Pakistani and Indian artists who worked with Victor Musgrave between 1953-63.

South Asian Modernists 1953-63

South Asian Modernists explores the works of Pakistani and Indian artists who worked with Victor Musgrave between 1953-63.

This is a past exhibition which ran from 30 September 2017 to 15 April 2018.

Musgrave ran the experimental Gallery One space where South Asia’s most eminent modernists artists were exhibited. Amongst the most important exhibitions held was Seven Indian Painters in Europe (1958) which received critical acclaim and introduced Indian artists to the British market. This exhibition at the Whitworth reflects the pioneering efforts of Musgrave across the decade to introduce South Asian Modernists. Drawing exclusively on works from the 1953-63 period and capturing the creative atmosphere of the time.

The exhibition includes works by S H Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb Mehta, Paritosh Sen, Avinash Chandra, Anwar Jalal Shemza, Francis Newton Souza, Ram Kumar, Laxman Pai, M F Husain and Mohan Samant. Alongside the paintings on display are works on paper and archival material, such as exhibition catalogues and photographs by the renowned photographer Ida Kar, Musgrave’s wife at the time.

The exhibition is co-curated with Amrita Jhaveri, an expert in Modern and Contemporary Indian art, gallerist, author and collector. Works are kindly being lent by both public and private collections, including the Hepworth Wakefield, Grosvenor Gallery, Leicestershire County Council, The Ruth Borchard Collection c/o Piano Nobile and Lincoln College, Oxford.

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Image: 
Anwar Jalal Shemza (1928-1985) Palace Gate, 1959 (detail) Private collection © Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza


 

Hear our panel discussion fom Thursday Lates: South Asian Modernists 1953-63 7 December

 

We discuss and explore the work of artists who feature in the exhibition South Asian Modernists 1953-63. An informal panel discussion into the characters and creative atmosphere that made up the experimental space Gallery One.

The panel discussion included:

Nada Raza - Research Curator, Tate

Amrita Jhaveri - Curator, dealer and collector of South Asian art and co-founder of Jhaveri Contemporary

Tasveer Shemza – daughter of artist Anwar Jalal Shemza

Francesca Souza – daughter of artist Francis Newton Souza

Clare Freestone – Associate Curator Photographs, National Portrait Gallery

South Asian Modernists 1953-63 explores the works of Pakistani and Indian artist who worked with Victor Musgrave between 1953-63. Musgrave ran the experimental Gallery One space where South Asia’s most eminent modernist artists were exhibited. Amongst the most important exhibitions held was Seven Indian Painters in Europe (1958), which received critical acclaim and introduced Indian artists to the British market. Drawing on works from the 1953-63 period, these modernist paintings are shown alongside photographs by the renowned photographer Ida Kar, capturing the creative atmosphere of the age.