Known for bold incorporation of elements of traditional Indian art in his work at a time when most young painters were gravitating towards European modernism, A. A. Almelkar is remembered for successfully navigating both the styles of painting.
Born on October 10, 1920, in Solapur, Maharashtra, Abdulrahim Appabhai Almelkar started painting at the young age of seven. He graduated from Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay, in 1948, winning several prizes early on, most notably at shows organised by the Bombay Art Society (1948) and the Art Society of India (1955). He won the Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Award in 1956 and 1960.
Almelkar’s figurative works stand out for his incorporation of Indian folk motifs and details of medieval miniature tradition. Common folk, fishermen and tribal communities form the subject matter of these paintings, set in their traditional homes and work places, wearing traditional attire, all presented with elaborate details. He often travelled in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, capturing the likeness of local people, flora and fauna.
On the other hand, Almelkar’s landscapes were more modernist in their rendition, inspired as they were by the works of Walter Langhammer and N. S. Bendre. This genre of paintings was made in a distinct European modernist vocabulary, evoking the sentiment of the place as much as its physical geography.
He served as the principal of a private art institute in Bangalore, the Nutan Kala Mandir, before joining as a faculty member of his alma mater, Sir J. J. School of Arts, Bombay, in 1968. He passed away on December 12, 1982.