Centennial exhibition honors Krishna Reddy and celebrates his artistic journey and friendships
Times of India | 18 December 2025
KOLKATA: The centennial exhibition "Krishna Reddy at 100: Of Friendships," currently underway at Santiniketan, offers a heartfelt homage to one of the most influential printmakers and pedagogues of his generation. It showcases key rare and early works of Reddy alongside those of his mentors, contemporaries, and students, including Stanley William Hayter, Zarina, Ramkinkar Baij, Shirley Witebsky, Mona Saudi, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and Nalini Malani.
The exhibition, which opened on December 6, 2025, at Tokaroun, Santiniketan, in collaboration with the Musui Art Foundation, will run until March 21, 2026. It offers a rare glimpse into the life and work of Krishna Reddy, a visionary artist whose roots trace back to this very town.
Krishna Reddy's journey began at Santiniketan when he was just 16 years old. Under the guidance of luminaries like Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and Ramkinkar Baij, Reddy's profound and sensitive understanding of nature was nurtured, shaping his artistic vocabulary and practice for a lifetime. This exhibition not only celebrates Reddy's artistic achievements but also the friendships and collaborations that defined his seven-decade-long career.
Reddy's work is characterised by his relentless experimentation with form, technique, and application. His time at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in the early 1950s was particularly transformative, as he developed the simultaneous multicolour viscosity printing technique, revolutionising intaglio printmaking. This innovative approach, achieved through the use of variable viscosities of printing inks, remains a hallmark of his legacy.
"Of Friendships" is a testament to the enduring influence of Reddy's pedagogical approach and his ability to forge meaningful connections across generations of artists and thinkers.
Reddy's illustrious career saw him train in sculpture under Ramkinkar Baij at Kalabhavana, Santiniketan, and later at the Slade School of Art in London under Henry Moore. He served as co-director of Atelier 17 in Paris and founded the Color Print Atelier in New York. As the director of the Printmaking department at NYU from 1976, Reddy's impact on the art world was profound and far-reaching.
His work was celebrated in numerous exhibitions and print biennales worldwide, including "Krishna Reddy: Heaven in a Wildflower" at the Print Center, New York (2025), and "Of Friendships: Krishna Reddy & His World" at Experimenter - Colaba, Mumbai, and Experimenter - Ballygunge Place, Kolkata (2024). His legacy continues to inspire and influence, as seen in exhibitions like "In Search of Simultaneity" (2020) and "To a New Form" (2019) in Kolkata, and "Workshop & Legacy" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2016–17).
"Krishna Reddy at 100: Of Friendships" is more than an exhibition; it is a celebration of a life dedicated to art, education, and the power of human connection. It invites visitors to explore the rich tapestry of Reddy's artistic journey and the friendships that enriched it, offering a profound reflection on the enduring impact of his work and philosophy.