(1903 - 1985)

Vasudeo Govind Kulkarni was born at Peth (Nasik) in Maharashtra in 1903. After training briefly under the legendary Haldankar at his Fine Art Institute in Bombay Kulkarni settled in Nasik, where he founded the Nasik Kala Niketan and encouraged the interfacing of the fine and performing arts to give his students an insight into other systems of creativity. He was the recipient of several prestigious awards and proved to be a distinguished student to the great master-artist Haldankar who had a seminal influence on his work.

His mastery of line and form and the sculpturesque fullness and grace of his figuration underscored Kulkarni's personal stylistic Vision, which was simultaneously sensitive and grand. He captured the timelessness of a fleeting moment in his oils and watercolour that often featured ritual and ceremony, as well as silent moments of play and introspection. Kulkarni was well known for his impeccable portraiture that had centre dynamism, capturing the essence of his subject. The quality of a inner serendipity and grace is evident in his small sculptures that are compact and expressive.

In his large oils Kulkarni uses a sombre palatte and makes effective use of chiaroscuro, the inter play of light and shadow, which he believed to be one of the fundamental strengths of stylistic maturity.

Besides achieving excellence in painting and sculpture, Kulkarni was also a versatile photographer. His multifaceted creativity was energised by his implicit commitment to art. Wherever his work was shown he was recognized and appreciated as a great and versatile artist.