Gulam Mohammed Sheikh is one of India’s most renowned and celebrated modern artists. Born in Surendranagar, Gujarat in 1937, he completed a Master’s of Fine Arts in painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Baroda in Vadodara. Along with his illustrious career as a painter, Sheikh has been involved in teaching art history, writing, and editing. He has also served as a visiting artist, fellow and writer/artist-in-residence at prestigious institutions around the world.
His Works!
In 1962, Sheikh received the National Award from the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and was later conferred the Padma Shri in 1983 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. He has also been awarded the Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh Government in 2002 and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati in 2022. Sheikh’s artworks are featured in the collections of renowned museums such as the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the Peabody Essex Museum in Virginia, USA, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi, and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Fukuoka, Japan, as well as several private collections in India and abroad.
Sheikh has participated in numerous prominent group and solo shows and exhibitions, recently at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014, the India Art Fair in 2014 and 2016, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea in 2013-2014, Lalit Kala Akademi Galleries in New Delhi in 2011, 2013, and 2014, the Triveni Kala Sangam in 2014, Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke in Mumbai in 2013, Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong Kong in 2012, and Gallery Art Motif in New Delhi in 2012, among others.
His Style!
Sheikh’s works reveal a unique blend of traditional and modern elements. His paintings are marked by a strong narrative style, and are often characterized by a sense of nostalgia and longing. He has been particularly noted for his Mappa Mundi series, where he defines new horizons and ponders over to locate himself in. As Chaitanya Sambrani observes, Sheikh’s art “takes on task of narrating, and therefore, recreating the world”.
Gulam Mohammed Sheikh’s life and works have made a lasting impact on the world of Indian art. He is a remarkable example of an artist who has achieved both critical and commercial success. He has given Indian art a unique voice and perspective, and his works will continue to be celebrated for many years to come.
