Born in Kerala in 1924, K G Subramanyan studied under the tutelage of Benode Behari Mukherjee, Nandalal Bose and Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan. He graduated from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University in 1948 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from the Presidency College in Chennai.

He was one of the leading artists who was a part of India’s post-Independence search for identity through art. A man of multifaceted aptitudes, Subramanyan demolished banners between artist and artisan. He experimented with weaving and toy-making. He also reinvested several mediums earlier used in Indian art. For example, the terracotta mural and glass painting found a new lease of life with his experiments. He believed in the value of Indian traditions and incorporated folklore, myth and local techniques and stories into his work.

The artist gave the human figure a new dimension. Drawing upon the rich resources of myth, memory and tradition, Subramanyan tempers romanticism with wit and eroticism.

The artist passed away in 2016.