A compassionate artist and a dog lover; Image source: Public Domain

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A soldier, a pilot, a painter and a sculptor, Sadanand Bakre has worn many caps during his lifetime. And his life has been as vibrant as his art. He was an artistically talented kid and his teachers at the Gokhale Education Institute encouraged him to hone his artistic skills.

At the mere age of 16, he held his first solo exhibition of sketches of figures, watercolour paintings, still life and clay models.

He joined the JJ School of Art and took up sculpting, with his passion and hard work, he mastered the techniques of modelling in clay, making plaster cast and bronze casting. He was trained in the academic realistic way of sculpting which he mastered effortlessly. His ingenious style and ability to experiment with traditional forms won him multiple awards and recognitions at art exhibitions.

Red Shoe, an original sculpture by Bakre; Image source: Sotheby's

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> After finishing his training in art at JJ School of Art in Bombay, he joined the airforce as a pilot during World War II. His plane crashed in the desert and he managed to return to Mumbai on an Australian ship.
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After his return, he engrossed himself in his art and along with his artist fellows formed the Progressive Artist Group in Bombay. The group wanted to break away from the Bengal school of art's revivalist nationalism and promote an Indian avant-garde that was involved on a global scale.

> The group was founded mere months after the "Partition of India" and "Partition of Pakistan" on August 14, 1947, which resulted in religious riots and the deaths of tens of thousands of people displaced by the new borders. The Progressive Artists Group's founders frequently cite the partition as an incentive for their quest for new standards in India, beginning with their new style of painting.
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A few years later he went to London and decided to once again pick up the paintbrush. London’s foremost art critic Rudy von Leyden recognised Bakre’s talent and encouraged him. He introduced Bakre to the European and American Modernist movement. Bakre never settled and continued to experiment with his style, there was a visible change in his painting and sculptures throughout his years.

The vibrant colours of Bakre's painting titled Cityscape; Image Source: Grosvenor Gallery

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He had several solo exhibitions in prestigious institutes like the Commonwealth Institute, Nicholas Treadway gallery etc. In the London art scene, Bakre became one of the foremost names, known for his bold experimental choices and vibrant paintings. He didn’t give up sculpting either and his sculptures garnered him even more accolades.

> As he kept learning new techniques and forms, he kept experimenting with his style. Bakre has been hailed as one of the most important modern Indian painters by foreign art reviewers. Eric Newton, art critic for "The Guardian," commented in a review of his show in London in 1961, "To whatever trigger prompts him to paint, he reacts vigorously and without hesitation... His abilities of compelling imagery as a painter are outstanding."
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An untitled painting by Bakre; Image Source: Safforanart

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He spent prime years of his artistic career in the west, where his art was well received and appreciated. Even now, most of his art and paintings are in Western galleries.

However, when he returned to India, personal tragedies took a toll on him. He became a bit disillusioned and a bit reclusive, spending his time painting until an accident left him almost handicapped. He spent his last days alone in Murud, a small town in Maharashtra. Away from the cacophony of Bombay, he would spend his time taking care of street dogs.

Bombay Art society awarded him with a lifetime achievement award in the year 2004, but this gem of an artist is lost somewhere in the noise of celebrity news. We owe him the respect and recognition he deserved for his sheer talent and artistic prowess.

In the movie Pyasa, Gurudatt’s character, a poet spends his life in search of fame and companionship. The movie was a commentary on how we as a society are often negligent to great artists among us. This is the story of one such artist.