Renowned artist Laxman Pai passes away at 95

Renowned artist and Padma Bhushan awardee Laxman Pai passed away at his residence in Goa on March 14, 2021. He was 95.

Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant tweeted saying, "Deeply saddened by the passing away of renowned Goan artist Padma Bhushan Shri Laxman Pai. Goa has lost a gem today. We will always remember his immense contribution in the field of art. My heartfelt condolences to his family."

Deeply saddened by the passing away of renowned Goan artist Padma Bhushan Shri Laxman Pai. Goa has lost a gem today. We will always remember his immense contribution in the field of art. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om shanti🙏 pic.twitter.com/9u9Y2negsL

— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) March 14, 2021

Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Y Naik also tweeted, "Saddened to hear the demise of great Indian artist and painter, former principal of the Goa College of Art, Padma Bhushan Laxman Pai ji. May God give strength to his family to bear the loss. Om Shanti."

Saddened to hear the demise of great Indian artist and painter, former principal of the Goa College of Art, Padma Bhushan Laxman Pai ji
May God give strength to his family to bear the loss. Om Shanti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QQCgoCm338

— Shripad Y. Naik (@shripadynaik) March 14, 2021

Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also tweeted a post that read, “My art is dedicated to the ‘Invisible Force’. I explore forms of this force through my work, just as Gandhi experimented with the truth. I can best explain it through my artwork, Tree of Life. RIP #LaxmanPai ji"

“My art is dedicated to the ‘Invisible Force’. I explore forms of this force through my work, just as Gandhi experimented with truth. I can best explain it through my artwork, Tree of Life.”

RIP #LaxmanPai ji 🙏

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 15, 2021

All you need to know about Laxman Pai

•Laxman Pai was an Indian artist and painter. He served as the Principal of the Goa College of Art from 1977 to 1987.

•He was a recipient of several awards including the prestigious Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Nehru Award and Lalit Kala Akademi Award. 

•His tryst with art began when he used to touch up black and white photographs with paint at his uncle's Mauzo Photo Studio in Margao. 

•He was actively involved in the Goa liberation movement in the 1940s. He was also arrested for the same three times by the Portuguese.

•His parents later sent him to Mumbai to study in the Sir J. J. School of Art from 1943 to 1947. He later started teaching in the same school.

•At the same time, he also participated in the activities of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group. 

•Pai later went to Paris and studied fresco and etching at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. He stayed in Paris for ten years, during which, he also held ten solo exhibitions in the city.

•He also learned Rosenthal porcelain art in Germany and took part in numerous Biennials in Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo.

•He returned to India in 1977 and took the post of the principal of the Goa College of Art. He played an instrumental role in creating the new college campus in the Altinho area of Panaji.

Laxman Pai's works

•Initially, Laxman Pai was largely inspired by Goan subjects and the concept of Indian miniatures. His works mainly spoke about the Goan way of life.

•He was also inspired by ancient Egyptian sculptures.

'Dance forms' -Oil on Canvas, Painting by #Laxmanpai #Goa. pic.twitter.com/G0lnRBsKW6

— PIB in Goa (@PIB_Panaji) March 15, 2021

•He used to listen to music while painting and had painted many paintings based on different ragas of Indian classical music. 

•He also gives a visual interpretation to the moods of the music as determined by the vibrations of the notes. 

•His painting series, 'Musical Moods' (1965) was inspired by Indian classical ragas.
Pai also used to play the sitar and the bansuri. 

•His paintings are on display at prestigious art galaries and museums such as National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, Berlin Museum, New York Public Library, Madras Museum, Nagpur Museum, Ben and Abby Grey Foundation and Punjab University Museum.