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Sanat Kar

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| Summary

"My works play on the deep, dark recesses of the human mind. My canvasses have a deep brooding quality."

A majority of Sanat Kar's works are surrealistic and have a curious dream-like appearance, mostly nightmarish. Figures are distorted and barely recognisable, and leave an uncomfortable feeling behind them. The same treatment is given to objects. As a result, all his paintings hover on the edge of reality without ever actually...
Read More "My works play on the deep, dark recesses of the human mind. My canvasses have a deep brooding quality."

A majority of Sanat Kar's works are surrealistic and have a curious dream-like appearance, mostly nightmarish. Figures are distorted and barely recognisable, and leave an uncomfortable feeling behind them. The same treatment is given to objects. As a result, all his paintings hover on the edge of reality without ever actually reaching there, symbolising the mysteries of life to which there are no answers.

Born in 1935 at Santiniketan,( West Bengal) Kar acquired his diploma in painting from the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Kolkata in 1955.

The artist maintained a low profile, and allowed his work to speak for him. His paintings are an eloquent testimony to his talent and artistic powers. He used the medium of tempera most often in his work and there are layers within layers that emerge on closer perusal. A favourite is the image of the sea: an angry grey-green out of which arise men and women as if just born, still with the placental fluid obscuring their faces. A large number of the creatures are amphibious, showing the all-pervading influence of water on our lives and the fear that it can generate.

Birth and death, the beginning and the end of the cycle of life held endless fascination for Kar, as did the grotesque and the macabre. Sometimes he moves the spotlight on to the visages that are images of decay and mask-like in their contours. Protruding eyes, bulbous, squashed noses, loose lips and an expression that signifies the human who is fast approaching the end and losing all interest and dignity in the bargain appears occasionally in his work.

The colours Kar utilised were in keeping with his sombre mood. Mauve, dark green, browns, magentas and greys do nothing to relieve the pervasive darkness. He played cleverly with alternating levels of light and dark to highlight the atmosphere of gloom. The texture of the material he worked with also adds to the aura and his detailed penmanship lends credence to the whole.

Honours and Awards

1997 Kala Vibhushan.

1996 Shiromani Puraskar, Kolkata

1993 West Bengal State Lalit Kala Academy Award, Kolkata

1978, 84, 92 Award, International Print Exhibition, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi.

1973 Award, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi.

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PAST AUCTIONS

Showing 4 of 4 works

Lot 76 Details

Auction 2002 (December) 1-4 December 2002

Sanat Kar

Untitled

Tempera on paper

20.5 x 22 in

USD payement only

USD payment only. Why?

Lot 96 Details

Auction 2002 (May) 13-16 May 2002

Sanat Kar

Untitled

Tempera on paper

20 x 16.5 in

Winning bid
$600
Rs 28,800
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

USD payement only

USD payment only. Why?

Lot 97 Details

Auction 2002 (May) 13-16 May 2002

Sanat Kar

Swan, Fish and...

Tempera on paper

25 x 19 in

Lot 125 Details

Auction 2001 (December) 6-12 December 2001

Sanat Kar

Ikebana

Tempera on paper

22 x 19 in

PAST StoryLTD AUCTIONS

Showing 4 of 25 works

Absolute Tuesdays 9 July 2024

Sanat Kar

Series Ikebana

Acrylic and tempera on canvas board

12 x 12 in

Winning bid
$1,084
Rs 90,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 22 Details

Absolute Tuesdays 9 July 2024

Sanat Kar

Ikebana

Tempera on canvas board

17.75 x 13.75 in

Winning bid
$1,880
Rs 1,56,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 36 Details

Absolute Tuesdays 18 June 2024

Sanat Kar

Untitled

Tempera on paper

15 x 15.25 in

Winning bid
$318
Rs 26,400
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 20 Details

Absolute Tuesdays 4 June 2024

Sanat Kar

Dreamer Series II

Tempera on paper pasted on mount board

15 x 11 in

Winning bid
$434
Rs 36,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

See all works in past StoryLTD auctions

EXHIBITIONS

Showing 2 of 2 works

Lot 224 Details

Works on paper. 20 Feb-15 Mar 2003

Sanat Kar

Kuntala

Tempera on paper

24.5 x 17 in

Lot 225 Details

Works on paper. 20 Feb-15 Mar 2003

Sanat Kar

Mermaid

Tempera on paper

19.5 x 13 in

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