(3 January,1951- 24 January,2022)
Wasim Kapoor was born in Lucknow, 1951 and He studied Diploma in Fine Art from the Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship, Kolkata, 1971. Kapoor is an artist who is deeply affected by feelings of pain, suffering, and loneliness. His art, whether it shows simple Indian women doing daily tasks, Jesus Christ, or Kolkata rickshaws, shows the sadness and hardship caused by a harsh society. His Christ crucifixion series made him well-known. He has created series with themes like ‘Victims and Silence' series shows the struggles of prostitutes who have been abused and mistreated, highlighting their suffering. He says, "Ninety percent of my work is about the suffering of women and their problems." In his 1980 Captive series, he also explored an ‘Anti-Burkha’ theme.
In Hindu mythology, Krishna is the God of Love and Seduction. He is known to be Arjuna's companion when the Pandavas went to war. The Bhagavad Gita is filled with Krishna's wise advice to Arjuna during the battle with the Kauravas and also, Krishna is the God of Love and romance. When he plays the flute, the Gopikas, who look after the cows, stop what they are doing to come and listen. Here, Kapoor beautifully portrays Krishna with his beloved Radha, handling the subject in a contemporary style distinct from the ornate depictions of Krishna and Radha often encountered.
According to Kapoor, he expressed being deeply inspired by Dutch painter Rembrandt, noting that Rembrandt "pours inner feelings, emotions into his paintings." Kapoor particularly admires the Dutch painter Rembrandt's exceptional used of light and shade, which he grew up observing.
Most of his portraits have closed eyelids and clouds, symbolizing spirituality and calmness. He chose to keep the eyes of his subjects closed in his own paintings because it adds mystery to the portrait and the artwork. Closed eyes can evoke various emotions and interpretations for viewers. However, he avoided depicting closed eyes in his commissioned portraits due to the necessity of meeting his clients' expectations and fulfilling contractual obligations.
Kapoor painted continuously for fifty years. He achieved Shiromoni award from Asian Paints 1985, award from Govt of West Bengal 1984, awards from Academy of Fine Arts and Birla Academy of Art and Culture.
Wasim Kapoor passed away in Kolkata on 24 January, 2022.
