K.H. Ara: The Pioneering Modernist of the Progressive Artists' Group

Overview
K.H Ara Artist- Untitled, 1950 Oil on Jute, 16.5
K.H. Ara
Untitled, 1950s
Oil on Jute
16.5" x 22.5"

"Expression for me does not reside in the passions glowing on a human face...Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter's command to express his feelings."

- K.H. Ara

Krishnaji Howlaji Ara (1904–1984), known as K.H. Ara, was a self‑taught Indian artist born in Andhra Pradesh who moved to Bombay (Mumbai) as a child. A founding member of the Progressive Artists’ Group, he helped shape modern Indian art alongside M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza, and S.H. Raza.

 

Ara’s early still‑life paintings gained attention, but his expressive figurations brought him into the spotlight. He mastered watercolours, manipulating them to mimic oil paint, with an earthy palette, pensive tones, rawness, and dry brush strokes.

 

He exhibited widely and earned many awards. His work is held in major public and private collections, and he remains a key figure in modern Indian art for his Progressive Artists’ Group role and distinctive watercolour technique.

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Works
  • K.H Ara Artist- Untitled, 1950 Oil on Jute, 16.5" x 22.5"
    K.H. Ara
    Untitled, 1950s
    Oil on Jute
    16.5" x 22.5"
    Enquire
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