Untitled

Medium:Acrylic
Height:21 inch / 53.3 cm
Width:35 inch / 88.9 cm
Surface:Paper
Style:Abstract paintings, Figurative Paintings
Dimension:W: 88.9 cm × H: 53.3 cm
Year:1988

An expressive landscape by Ram Kumar, where fragmented architectural forms and sweeping brushstrokes come together in shades of black, grey and white. The painting balances abstraction with the suggestion of a lived-in landscape, creating a moody yet deeply engaging sense of place.

Description

Ram Kumar | Untitled | Acrylic on Paper | 21 x 35 inches | 1988

This Untitled work by Ram Kumar, created in 1988, presents a powerful, fragmented landscape built through energetic strokes, layered forms and a restrained monochromatic palette. The composition feels almost like a fleeting memory of a city or settlement—rooftops, architectural structures and distant forms emerge and dissolve within the dense network of lines.

The strong blacks and greys create a dramatic sense of depth, while the areas of untouched paper allow the composition to breathe. Rather than describing a place in precise detail, Ram Kumar captures its mood and emotional atmosphere. His vigorous brushwork gives the landscape a sense of movement, while the scattered forms suggest weathered buildings, uneven terrain and an ever-changing urban horizon.

There is a wonderful tension between structure and abstraction in the work. Familiar elements can be sensed, but they remain deliberately unresolved, inviting the viewer to experience the landscape rather than simply identify it. The raw, spontaneous handling of acrylic adds to its expressive character and gives the painting an immediate, almost instinctive quality.

Born in 1924 in Simla, Ram Kumar was among India’s leading modernists. In the early 1930s, whilst still at school, Ram Kumar harbored greater intentions to be a writer rather than an artist, and it was only around 1945 that he formally started seeking out instruction in the arts. Having studied economics at St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, in 1946, he went to Paris to study painting under Andre Lhote and Fernard Leger from 1949 to 1952, before which he worked briefly as a journalist. He remains a vital part of first generation post-colonial Indian artists, a member of the fabled Progressive Artist’s Group, alongside F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and M.F. Husain.
Ram Kumar’s work predominantly comprise abstract renditions of landscapes with jagged topographical contours, supplemented with a sense of ambient despair. Responding to different interpretations of landscape as a concept, Kumar uses a variety of textures to map out its architectonics through abstract strokes. Much of his oeuvre is dictated by a preoccupation with nature and being-ness, and the relationships between space, objects and individuals.

In his lifetime he was also the recipient of many awards, including the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Prem Chand Puraskar for a collection of short stories.

The artist passed away in 2018 at the age of 93.


Shipment DetailsThis artwork will be shipped unframed, either in roll form or flat, depending on its requirements—at no additional cost.

If you’d prefer the artwork to arrive ready to hang, please get in touch with us to arrange framing and shipping at applicable charges.

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Additional information

Dimensions 31.75 × 24.13 cm
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