H.A Gade

HA Gade’s (1917- 2002) paintings are infused with a scientific point of view while subjects transcend individual meanings and associations. Essentially, they become a part of a brand new artistic language. Considered one of the pioneers of abstract expressionism in India, Hari Ambadas Gade’s oeuvre includes still-life, portraits, and landscapes, besides his well-known abstract works.

Born in Amravati, Maharashtra, Gade was inclined towards science and mathematics since childhood. His keen interest in drawing merged with his technical sensibility, something which was to become his unique point. He completed his Bachelor of Science from Nagpur University in 1939. While studying there, he enrolled himself in a part-time course at Nagpur School of Art. He eventually completed his Diploma in Fine Art in 1949 and a Masters in the following year.

Gade began his artistic journey with watercolours since he was hugely inspired by the great Indian modernist as well as contemporary S.H. Raza. But he eventually switched to oil paintings. He is known for his landscapes that celebrate unconventional gaze as the artist prioritizes colour over form. Gade was an avid colourist, which is quite evident in his landscapes, employing knives and a diverse palette.

Essentially, Gade was best known for his works depicting homes. Like a basic building block in his works, houses provide him with the convenience of building up the surface, dividing into rectangular units. Although Gade doesn’t directly portray human figures, the juxtaposition of geometrical surfaces and blocks, soaked in colours, begin to imagine the emotional turmoil and complexities of the living world. Fundamentally, Gade’s mesmerising oeuvre brinks on the cusp of impressionism and expressionism!

One of the founding members of the Progressive Artists’ Group, Gade had exhibited widely in India and abroad. He received many awards including the Saigon Biennale in 1962.