Template:Infobox artist Avtar Krishan Raina, better known as A.K. Raina (ए.के. रैना) (born August 10, 1938), is an Indian artist.
Biography
Avtar Krishan Raina was born in Srinagar, Kashmir in 1938. At the age of 16, he dropped out of college in Kashmir to join School of Arts, Trivandrum, in Kerala.
He started his career as a craftsman in 1959 at the age of 22 in School of Designs, Srinagar and started painting in 1965.[1] He was a founder member and secretary of Kashmir Artist Guild in 1974. He was selected by National Institute of Design for a training program of "craft design" in 1981.
Raina was forced to leave Kashmir in 1990 during the Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, and his house in Harwan, Srinagar was burnt down. An article in The Tribune (Chandigarh) in 2005 said: "There is an element of poignancy in his paintings as they also in a subtle way point out how he misses his homeland, which he was forced to leave due to the strife there."[2]
His paintings have been exhibited at Kashmir Artist's Association in Srinagar (1970), Kashmir Artists Guild Exhibition in Srinagar (1974), Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi (1986), Dhoomimal Gallery in New Delhi (1987), Vadhera Art Gallery in New Delhi (1991), National Museum of Damascus (1995), Devlalikar Art Gallery in Indore (2004), Dhoomimal Gallery in New Delhi (2005),[2][3][4][5] Pritamlal Dua Gallery in Indore (2011),[6] and Dhoomimal Gallery in New Delhi (2012).[7] In 2018 A.K. Raina was part of an exhibition of 60 Kashmiri artists from all over the world gathered at Srinagar; the exhibition was inaugurated by then governor of Jammu and Kashmir.[8][9]
Today he continues to paint in his studio in Indore.
References
- ↑ A Retrospective of A.K. Raina (exhibition catalog){{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Ankit Advertising(2011)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Reflecting the Natural Surroundings. The Tribune(December 31, 2005).
- ↑ Paradise Not Lost. The Pioneer(December 31, 2005).
- ↑ Longing for Kashmir. Hindustan Times(December 31, 2005).
- ↑ Artist traces Kashmir's wounds in abstract lines. The Asian Age(December 29, 2005).
- ↑ Landscapes Sans Scenery. Times of India(19 March 2011).
- ↑ Dhoomimal Gallery's Facebook post(18 December 2012).
- ↑ Art to Heart Communication. Greaterkashmir.com(June 29, 2018).
- ↑ The Kashmiri art bringing Hindus and Muslims together. BBC News(2018-06-22). Retrieved 2020-09-29.
Further reading
- Tones of the Valley. The Indian Express(April 24, 2013).
- Belonging, Exile, and Nostalgia for Home. Hindustan Times(April 16, 2013).
- A contemplation of the macrocosm. Times of India(April 11, 1991).
- Designs in Nature. Indian Express(April 14, 1991).
- The Inner Life of Landscapes. Hindustan Times(April 22, 1991).
- Concentrating on mega feel. Evening News(April 5, 1991).
- Honorable mention for A.K. Raina. Evening News(March 9, 1992).
- Sheer poetry. Evening News(February 5, 1997).
- ए.के. रैना के चित्र. सान्ध्य टाइम्स (The Evening Times)(February 8, 1997).
- कश्मीर की सुंदर स्त्रियां. दिनमान टाइम्स (Dinman Times)(April 14–20, 1991).
- Soul-stirring landscapes. The Statesman(April 22, 1991).
