Born: December 25, 1925, Jhelum (now Pakistan)
Fame: Painter, sculptor, graphic designer, author, and architect
Educational Institution: Mayo School of Art (Lahore), J.J. J. School of Art Bombay, Palacio Nationale de Bellas Art, Mexico, and Imperial Service College Windsor, UK
Awards: Padma Vibhushan, National Award for the Arts thrice (twice for painting and once for sculpture)
Satish Gujral Biography: Painter, sculptor, graphic designer, author, and architect
Satish Gujral is a renowned Indian painter, sculptor, writer, and architect with multi-talented talent. He is the younger brother of the former Prime Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral. The Government of India honored him with Padma Vibhushan in 1999 for his outstanding contribution to the field of art. When Satish was only eight years old, he broke his legs due to slipping and also suffered a lot of head injuries due to which he started hearing less and people started thinking of him as lame, deaf, and dumb. Recently, Satish Gujral has made a new identity as a writer by writing his autobiography.
Early life
Satish Gujral was born on 25 December 1925 in Jhelum (now Pakistan) in British India. At the age of eight, he started hearing loss due to injury. He studied clay crafts and graphic designing, among other subjects, for five years at the Mayo School of Art in Lahore. After this, in 1944 he moved to Bombay where he enrolled in the famous Sir JJ School of Art, but due to illness, he had to leave his studies midway in 1947. In 1952, he received a scholarship, after which he studied at the Palacio Nationale de Bellas Art in Mexico. Here he had the opportunity to work and learn under such famous artists as Diego Rivera and David Sequeiros. After that, he went to the UK. He also studied art at the Imperial Service College, Windsor.
Career
The partition of India had a great impact on the mind of young Satish and the agony of the refugees is expressed in his art. From 1952 to 1974, Gujral exhibited his sculptures, paintings, and other works of art in cities around the world such as New York, New Delhi, Montreal, Berlin, and Tokyo.
Satish Gujral has also been an architect. He also designed the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi, which has been named by the International Forum of Architects as the ‘World’s Best Buildings of the 20th Century’.
He has created spectacular architectural projects for many hotels, universities, residential buildings, industrial sites, and religious buildings around the world.
In his creative life, he has painted abstractions and created beautiful combinations of bright colors. He has also given an easy place to animals and birds in his art. He drew inspiration for his works from history, folk tales, Puranas, ancient Indian culture, and various religions, and embellished them in his paintings.
His works have been exhibited in many famous museums such as the Hirschhorn Collection in Washington DC, the Hartford Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Personal life
Satish Gujral is married to Kiran Gujral and both live in Delhi, the capital of India. His son Mohit Gujral is a renowned architect and is married to former model Firoz Gujral. His elder daughter Alpana is a jewelry designer and his second daughter Rasel is an interior designer. His elder brother Inder Kumar Gujral was the former Prime Minister of India.
Several documentaries have been made on his life and work and a film is also being made. A 24-minute documentary titled ‘A Brush with Life’ was released in February 2012. The documentary is based on a book of the same name as him.
Satish has also written his autobiography. Apart from this, three more books have been published on his works and life.
Honors and awards
- He has been honored with many national and international awards for his naturalness in various arts.
- In 1999, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan.
- He has also received Mexico’s ‘Leo Nardo da Vinci award.
- Satish Gujral also received the ‘Order of Crown’ honor from the King of Belgium
- In 1989, he was honored by ‘The Indian Institute of Architecture’ and ‘Delhi Kala Parishad’.
- He has gained international fame in the field of architecture for the building project of the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi. The building has been ranked by the International Forum of Architects in its list of the 1000 best buildings of the 20th century.
- In 2014, he got the title of ‘NDTV. Indian of the year was also awarded
- He has received the National Award for the Arts thrice – twice for painting and once for sculpture.
- The state governments of Delhi and Punjab have also honored him for his works and achievements.