Krishen Khanna was born in Faislabad, Pakistan. He lives and works in New Delhi, India. Khanna attended evening classes at the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. After arriving in India he took up a post with the Grindlays Bank and was placed in Mumbai. Once there Khanna was invited to join the Progressive Artists' Group with who he remained in active association. He applies his paint with strong gestures creating thick impastos. His earlier works are concerned with contemporary events that moved him profoundly. He painted ‘News of Gandhi’s Death’ after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, which shows a group of people standing motionless around a traffic island in Delhi, immersed in their newspapers. In 1964, Khanna was artist–in-residence at the American University, Washington D.C., and the next year, he won a fellowship from the Council for Economic and Cultural Affairs, New York. Recognizing his immense contribution to Indian Art, the Government of India has bestowed several honours upon him including the Padma Shri in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011, two of the four highest civilian honours.
Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.
Krishen Khanna
Artist Details:
- First Name(s): Krishen
- Last Name: Khanna
- Year of Birth: 1925
- Nationality: Indian
- Mediums: Painting
- Average Price Range ($): $50,000-100,000
- Market Confidence: Low
