Jyoti Bhatt

Jyotindra Manshankar Bhatt (12 March 1934), is an Indian artist best known for his modernist work in painting and printmaking and also his photographic documentation of rural Indian culture. He studied painting under N. S. Bendre and K.G. Subramanyan at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University (M.S.U.), Baroda. Later he studied fresco and mural painting at Banasthali Vidyapith in Rajasthan, and in the early 1960s went on to study at the Academia di Belle Arti in Naples, Italy, as well the Pratt Institute in New York.

Bhatt moved from a cubist influence in his early work, to a light hearted and colourful Pop art that often drew its imagery from traditional Indian folk designs. Though Bhatt worked in a variety of mediums, including water colours and oils, it is his printmaking that ultimately garnered him the most attention. In 1966 Bhatt returned to M.S.U. Baroda with a thorough knowledge of the intaglio process that he had gained at the Tamarind Workshop in New York. It was partially Bhatt’s enthusiasm for intaglio that caused other artists such as Jeram Patel, Bhupen Khakhar and Gulammohammed Sheikh, to take up the same process. Bhatt, and his compatriots at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Baroda, soon came to be known as “The Baroda School” of Indian art.
Late in the 1960s Bhatt was asked to take photographs of Gujarati folk art. Initially this work was done for a seminar, but it soon became one of the artist’s passions to document traditional Indian craft and design work. The disappearing arts of rural Gujarat became a focus. Though Bhatt’s investigations into village and tribal designs certainly influenced the motifs he used in his printmaking, Bhatt considers his documentary photographs to be an art form in themselves. His direct and simply composed photographs have become valued on their own merit.
Throughout Bhatt’s long career as a teacher at the M.S.U. Faculty of Fine Arts, he has photographed the evolution of the university, the artistic activities of its faculty and students, and the architecturally significant buildings of Baroda. This huge body of work is perhaps the best assembled photographic documentation that pertains to “The Baroda School” of Indian art.
It is Jyoti Bhatt’s prints, however, that are most associated with the artist. His etchings, intaglios, and screen prints have explored and re-explored a personal language of symbols that stem from Indian culture: the peacock, the parrot, the lotus, stylized Indian gods and goddesses, and unending variations on tribal and village designs. Recently he has explored digital printing and holography.
His work is in numerous international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.,and The British Museum, London.

1985 Learnt basics of Holography, UK

1964-66 Learnt Printmaking, Pratt Institute and Pratt Graphic Art Center, New York specializing in Graphics

1961-62 Academia Di Belle Arti, Naples, Italy under Italian Government Scholarship

1953 Learnt Mural and Fresco Painting, Vanasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan

1950-56 Studied Painting and Printmaking, Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Solo Exhibitions

2007 'Parallels That Meet: Paintings, Prints, Photographs', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi

2005 'Graphic Prints: An Overview Jyoti Bhatt', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi

2004 'Printed Image: An Overview Retrospective', Exhibition of Graphic Prints, ABS Bayer Gallery, Vadodara

2001 'In Conversation: Painting and Sketchbook', Gallery Espace, New Delhi

1999 Centre for Photography, National Center for Policy Analysis and The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi

1998 'Printed Image: An Overview Retrospective Exhibition of Graphic Prints 1961-98', Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

1998 'Multimedia: Art of The 90's', Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

1993-97 Exhibition of Photographs at National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai; Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal and Art Heritage, New Delhi

1984-95 Photagraphic Exhibition at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahemdabad, Bhopal, Baroda and Germany

1966-71 Solo Shows of Prints and Paintings, Mumbai, Ahemdabad and New Delhi

1964-66 3 Solo Shows of Prints and Paintings, USA

1963 Exhibition of Paintings, Mumbai



Group Exhibitions

2010 'Yeh Image Mahaan: India Meets Bharat', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2010 'The Living Insignia', Gallery Ensign, New Delhi

2010 'Symbols and Metaphors', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2008 'Baroda: A Tale of Two Cities', (Part I), Sarjan Art Gallery, Vadodara

2006 'Super Six Photographic Exhibition', organized by Jindal Photo Limited, Travelled All Over India

1999 'Icons and Symbols', Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

1969 'Painters With Camera', Mumbai

1969 'Through Indian Eyes', Indian Photographers Show, Holland

1963 Group 1890 Show, New Delhi



Participations

2011 ‘Manifestations V', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi

2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', by Gallery Art Motif at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games

2010 'Contemporary Printmaking In India', presented by Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai

2010 'National Printmaking Portfolio', Marvel Art Gallery, Ahmedabad

2010 ‘Manifestations IV', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi

2010 'Where Three Dreams Cross: 150 Years of Photography from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh', Whitechapel Gallery, London; Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland

2008-09 'Paz Mandala', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

2005 'Manifestations III', organized by Delhi Art Gallery at Nehru Center, Mumbai and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

1998 '10 years of C.P.A.(1988-98)', National Centre for Performing Arts (N.C.P.A), Mumbai

1996-98 'Chamatkar' Exhibition of Paintings organized by Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA) at London

1996-98 'Tryst with Destiny' Art from Modern India, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore

1984-90 '13th Photographic Contest', at Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO at Japan, USA, USSR and Sweden

1984-90 'Eternal Wheel: 15 Indian Photographers, West Germany

1982-83 'Six Indian Photographers', Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Oxford, U.K

1969 'Painters and Photographers Exhibition, Sao Paulo International Triennale, Mumbai

1969 'Six Indian Photographers', Museum of Modern art (MOMA), Oxford

1967-72 Various International Print Biennale, Florence, Poland, Japan, Yugoslavia and Germany

1955-62 National Exhibition of Art, New Delhi

1954-63 'Baroda Group Shows', Bombay Art Society Annual Exhibitions, Mumbai; Kalidas Art Exhibitions, Ujjain

Honours and Awards

2005 Lifetime Achievement Award - Distinguished Photo Artist, Academy of Visual Media, New Delhi

2004 Awarded Hon. Doctorate, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata

2001 'Kalashri', All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi

2000 Received Gujarat State Award, Gujarat

2000 Senior Artist Award, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi

1998 Gujarat State Kala Academy Award, Gujarat

1996 Senior Fellowship, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

1996 Gaurav Puraskar, Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy, Gujarat

1996 Gujrat State Special Award

1989 Grand-Prix, 13th Annual Photo Contest for Asia and Pacific, UNESCO, Japan

1978 Top Prize, World Photo Contest, Fotokina, Germany

1972-73 1st Prize for Design of Postal Stamp for 25th Anniversary of Independence

1967 First Prize for Graphic Print, State Lalit Kala Academy, Gujarat

1967 Gold Medal, International Print Biennale, Florence, Italy

1967 First Prize for Graphic Prints, State Lalit Kala Academy Exhibition, Gujarat

1967 Silver Medal, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai

1967 Bronze Medal, Nikon World Photo Contest, Japan

1964-66 Fulbright Scholarship and J.D.R. IIIrd Award for Printmaking at Pratt Institute, USA

1963-64 National Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

1963-64 Annual Show, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai

1961-62 Government of Italy Scholarship to Study Pinting and Etching, Naples

1957,58,59 Government of India Scholarship under Prof. Bendre

1956 President's Gold Plaque, National Exhibition of Art, New Delhi

1956 Received Cultural Scholarship, Ministry of Culture and Education, Government of India