Krishen Khanna at 100: A Centenary Tribute to the Painter of the People by Prabuddha Ghosh

Krishen Khanna at 100: A Centenary Tribute to the Painter of the People

As the world marks the birth centenary of Krishen Khanna, we pause to honour an artist who chronicled the soul of a nation through the eyes of its people. A genre painter and narrative artist of profound depth, Khanna spent more than seven decades interpreting life not as an isolated individual but as a sensitive witness to human experience — one who shaped canvas and clay with compassion, memory, and quiet resilience.

Born in 1925 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad, Pakistan), Khanna’s artistic vision was profoundly shaped by the cataclysmic rupture of Partition. Like millions, he endured the trauma of displacement. Yet what set him apart was his enduring ability to transform pain into empathy, and empathy into art. The Partition not only moved him geographically but also emotionally and spiritually — steering his life-long engagement with themes of loss, survival, and resilience. His work, while intensely personal in inspiration, evolved into a larger conversation about shared human struggles.

Krishen Khanna gave form and dignity to lives often ignored. His canvases are peopled with labourers, musicians, refugees, and the humble bandwallas, rendered not as background elements but as central characters in the story of India. These figures were not romanticised, but respected — their presence a reminder of the emotional and physical labour underpinning the country’s transformation.

Khanna was not only an observer but also a storyteller — a ‘katha vachak’, whose narrative lens turned everyday life into lyrical, visual fables. He did not paint himself into his work as a protagonist. Instead, he adopted the role of a commentator — one who looked outward to the world, interpreting it for others, much like a poet or chronicler of a shared moral history.

His creative vocabulary was as broad as his sympathies. Khanna's artistry traversed oil painting, sculpture, and photography, blending the classical with the modern. From vibrant explosions of colour to solemn monochrome palettes of black and beige, his art spanned emotional and temporal spectrums, allowing him to capture both the chaos and silence of human existence.

A defining influence on his spiritual and artistic sensibility was his early exposure to Christian iconography. Inspired by a childhood encounter with Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and guided by the gentle mentorship of Brother Joseph Gardener, he explored the life of Christ not through divinity but through his human vulnerability. His remarkable Christ series — from The Last Supper to Emmaus — undertaken during the turbulent 1960s and 70s, underscored the political and emotional resonance of spiritual suffering.

Throughout the 1950s, Khanna’s fascination with Indian classical music, myth, and history began to infuse his work, adding new layers of cultural depth. Even as his style evolved, his commitment to elevating the everyday and the overlooked remained unwavering.

Educated at the Imperial Services College in Windsor and later trained in drawing at Sheikh Ahmed’s Studio One in Lahore, Khanna initially worked at Grindlays Bank in Mumbai. It was during this time that his pivotal work, News of Gandhi’s Death, was created — a piece that powerfully captured the collective grief of a nation. This emotionally charged painting marked a turning point in his career, bringing him national recognition and an invitation to join the Progressive Artists Group, alongside legends like MF Husain, FN Souza, SH Raza, VS Gaitonde, and Ram Kumar.

In 1961, Khanna left his banking job to devote himself fully to art — a bold step that led to a prolific and celebrated career. His works have since graced major galleries and museums across New Delhi, Mumbai, London, New York, and beyond, resonating with audiences around the world.

His contributions to Indian art have been recognized with several prestigious honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2011, Lalit Kala Ratna in 2004, and Kala Ratna in 1997. These awards are mere formalities when compared to the enduring legacy he leaves behind — a legacy rooted not in fame but in fidelity to the human spirit.

Krishen Khanna’s centenary is not just a moment to remember a master painter — it is an occasion to celebrate a voice that never ceased to speak for the voiceless, to honour an eye that found beauty in the broken, and to reflect on a life that turned empathy into enduring art.

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