Foreword

We have had a fairly long association with Krishen and have been involved with four publications on his work. We hold this particular one close to our hearts. It has taken us two years to put it together, with eminent art critics from India and England contributing to the project. The twelve large works selected here are the ones which illustrate important subjects that Krishen has revisited many times in the span of his long career. The biblical theme, which is a prominent section of the book, is represented by The Betrayal, Flagellation, The Raising of Lazarus, Last Supper, Pietà and Emmaus. Some of these have been illustrated jointly, even though they are independent works, as Krishen felt that it placed greater emphasis on the continuity of the theme. The portrayal of musicians, exemplifi ed in Serenade for Lajwanti and Remembering Mali, is a subject that Krishen has enjoyed visiting repeatedly. In A Stranger at Gyaniji’s Dhaba and O.K. Tata –the former subtle, almost austere and the latter intensely dramatic – he paints everyday life and everyday people, and, perhaps, not-so-ordinary emotions. Krishen’s paintings themselves are carefully distanced from emotion, but they ask it of the viewer, demand it almost. The Blind King and Blindfolded Queen resonate with layers of meaning and the self-absorbed, enigmatic newspaper readers in Evening News, which reverberates with the death of Mahatma Gandhi, silently stand testimony to the infi nite uncertainities of life and, indeed, the inevitability of death.This book is published in conjunction with an exhibition of Krishen Khanna’s paintings to be held at The Royal Academy of London in March, 2007. Retrospectively, in a career that has spanned nearly six decades, Krishen Khanna’s paintings stand eloquent witness to the passage of time in modern India. We hope this selection does justice to his multifaceted narratives, fl awless technique and the theatre of human relationships they present.

Tanuj Berry & Saman Malik November 2006 New Delhi