About Eminent Artist Padmashri Tilak Gitai;
Artist Name
Tilak Gitai
Mother's Name
Late Shri Manfool Devi
Father's Name
Late Shri Ram Gopal Agrawal
Birthday
26th September 1949
Place from
Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Maestro Painter, Tilak Gitai is an acclaimed royal court artist, miniature painter, craftsman and sculptor. He has contributed in the field of art for more than 40 years, right from creating unique arts, restoring unique royal paintings, helping education institutions and many more. He has also authored the book – “Ragamala – The Missing Link” The Visible Music of India. His work has been appreciated by US Ex-President Bill Clinton and India's Ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He has also conducted workshops globally like Geneva and London amongst others.
He was born in 1949. Tilak Gitai hails from the second generation of royal court painter patronized by the rulers of Bikaner. He has done his B.F.A. from the University of Delhi. He specializes in Indian traditional Miniature paintings like Mughal, Rajasthani and Phadi paintings etc. He is also an all round Master Craftsman.He has demonstrated cum exhibited his paintings in the prestigious “Festival of India” held at Augsburg Germany in1985, at Geneva-Zurich and Basel-Switzerland in 1987, at Earls Court-London in 2001, at Seoul-South Korea in 2004, at Muscat Festival-Oman in 2007 and at Sao Paulo-Brazil in 2012.He makes paintings on different surfaces like old handmade paper, fine silk and wall Murals etc. and also restores the old miniature paintings. He makes his own colors from precious, semi-precious stones, minerals and herbs. Real gold and silver colors are made from gold and silver leaf. He also makes his own brushes from squirrel’s hairs. He even trained around 2520 students the art and techniques of Indian Miniature Painting around the globe between 1981-2013During his illustrious career he got many prizes and awards for his originality and artistic brilliance like:• National Award from the President of India – 1982• Rajasthan Shiromani Award – 1991• Kalamani Award –Suraj Kund-1991• Maharana Sajjan Singh Award, Mewar Foundation Udaipur – 1992• India’s Independence Golden Jubilee Award – 1997• Federation of Rajasthan Handicrafts Exporters Award – 2007• Shilp Guru Award from the President of India – 2007• Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award – 2008• Rajasthan Gaurav – 2009• Padma Shri Award from President of India - 2017
He is very creative person by birth. His grandfather was proficient in Music & Kathak. His father was a master court painter of Bikaner Maharaja, an all-rounder. He was an artist, did handicrafts, painting, etc. Like Abhimanyu, He was exposed to different art forms.
He says, As I started schooling, my interest in drawing enhanced. Teachers used to doubt on my art piece as outlined & instructed me one day to make it on the blackboard in their presence. I made a replica & they were shocked. In such a manner, during secondary I got an award for my drawing. I did I.G.D. Mumbai, than joined Rajasthan School of Art than further I joined Delhi College of Art to pursue Art stream and did B.F.A. (first batch in India from University of Delhi). This way I climbed the success ladder & received lot of recognition along with the National Award in 1982.
His Art Journey as an Artist :
After schooling, I wanted to pursue a special course in art. We are three sisters & three brothers. My father could not afford an expensive education. I decided to apply for scholarship & not ask money from him. My father was open-minded & gave me permission to chase my dreams as he always braced people who had the flair & allegiance. There was no hostel in Art College. So I stayed with my aunts who resided near my college. After 6 months, I felt I should find my own room since I was not comfortable perturbing anyone. I showed my work to Chief Educative Counsellor of Delhi& convinced him to provide me a place to stay. He was very happy with my work & arranged my stay in engineering college hostel. Simultaneously, I got lot of job offers & work like making logos, commercial designing etc. Miniature art required lot of materials for making our own brush, surfaces for painting like 100yr old papers, precious stones & metals. We utilize & convert the new colours to make it look old & even teach the same to our students. It takes 6 months to make certain colours. Making the raw material for miniature is a science & research in itself.
I worked for 10 yrs with passion. I was a freelancer artist. With this profession I managed to run my household. I have portrayed descants & songs in my painting. To do this I had to understand the ragas. The paintings hum the ragas depicted in them. Even the prominent musicians cannot explain the raga in detail the way I have scripture them in my paintings. Due to unfamiliar language, certain anecdotes had to be translated by experts in Hindi & English. When I had to publish my book I had no publisher & financer to my rescue. From Jaipur to Delhi no one was ready. My 10 yrs effort seemed to be going in drain. I ran from one publisher’s office to the other but they were not giving me any royalty. Back of my mind I was concerned for my children as I had to even sponsor their education & marriage. Here my wife played a big role by sacrificing her jewelry & helped me in publishing my book. Now I feel happy when I see my book being sold on Internet in various platforms.
Mr. Tilak Gitai
He says about his success Mantra:
Whatever I thought, I achieved! I was strong will-powered! The book on Ragamala Paintings published by American processor Klaus Ebeling, has been my greatest source of inspiration. Ragamala Paintings provides a pictorial description of the different ragas. It mentions how Indian painters have the finest in art but there is a certain factor lacking as there was no connection of the paintings with the stances mentioned in the poetries or music. It lacked the emotional connect with the ragas.
It was astonishing research of our 300 year old art form. I wanted to wipe out this difference & worked almost 10 yrs on it in collaboration with musicians who have received Padma Bhushan & prestigious awards. I decided to bring back life in these paintings. Each painting should reflect the ragas which have to connect with the audience. I conveyed the melodies & life in my painting. I have done a great research and work on the ancient “Ragamala Paintings” and add with my own imagination and creativity the missing portions to these paintings without which, in essence, these paintings were incomplete. My one set of Ragamala Paintings is displayed at Musee d’ enthnographic-Geneva. I wrote a book on ‘Ragamala - The Missing Link’ by putting down the theory of correspondence between music & paintings.
Bringing back the forgotten tradition of our country has leaded me to success. We should not forget our genre in art. The old Indian art is the soul of our nation.
"RAGAMALA- THE MISSING LINK"....
My book:
I have done a great research and work on the ancient Ragamala Paintings and added with my own imagination and creativity the missing portions to these paintings without which, in essence, these paintings were incomplete.
I made the complete set of 36 "Ragamala Missing Link" paintings on old hand made paper with natural stones, minerals and herbs colours.
I used Painter's system for my Ragamala Paintings but my theory of the correspondence between music and paintings to the extreme, l have established principles of equailance, which I applies methodically in my Miniatures. I also association of colours with the notes of The Raga.
About Ragamala
RAGAMALA The Visible Music of India The Missing Link Ragamala is an old and established genre in Indian painting and works belonging to this genre date back to the 14th-15th centuries. The 16th Century, ragamala pictures became secular, even romantic in ethos, with the ragas and raginis being presented as lovers in various situations and moods. Indian music has, for ages, been the subtlest instrument of emotional integration, bringing together people of different faiths, traditions and customs. The theory of Ragas, an unparalleled system in the basic of Indian music. Ragas are said to have emanated in the past from rituals, but in their later innovations they were practised alike by the adherents of all religious sects for composing their hymns. Ragas or musical modes have their specific intonations, time and situation; for when they are sung, they arouse specific emotions or rasas. These ragas have been given pictorial visualization in Indian miniatures – known as Ragamala Paintings. The Indian master painters personified the spirit of the ragas turning them into visual forms encompassing contemporary social and cultural environment. Thousands of such Ragamala Paintings were created from 16th to the 19th century in various schools and styles, each having it’s own peculiarity. But the earlier versions could not provide the emotion of the particular raga depicted by the painting. There was no direct relationship as such, between the painting and the specific raga. Tilak Gitai has attempted to create paintings, with all the ancient splendour of the traditional Miniature art paintings, which would sing the ragas they are portraying. Viewers of this ragamala will readily recognize the Kishangarh qalam, the rich and tender style of painting developed in the small state of Kishangarh near Jaipur in the 18th Century.
Achievements
- Padma Shri by The President of India - 2017
- Shilp Guru Award by The President of India - 2007
- National Award by President of India, 1982
- Rajasthan Gaurav, 2009
- Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, 2007
- India’s Independence Golden Jubilee Award, 1997
- Rajasthan Shiromani Award, 1991
- Maharana Sajjan Singh award from Mewar Foundation - 1993
- Sawai Jagjit Singh Award from Jaipur Maharaja City Palace - 2013
Some of his Creativity
Message given to avoid Carona Virus by putting a mask on the face of Monalisa of Hindustan.
He says- Bani-Thani is the embroidery reflects of our traditional art. I have prepared a whole Raga-Mala about this character. A book has also been released on this and many art students have done research on it. In such a situation, the message given through this character will definitely inspire people.
Title : "GITA GOVINDA"
(A Love Story of Radha & Krishna - written by Ancient Poet Jaidev).
Krishna embracing Gopis (Hari, full of joy, embraces thousands of young women in his long arms.)
Painting of Kangra style, about c. 1760-1765.
For painting I used very old hand made paper, natural stone colours etc.
His artwork depicts- The character of Radha -
It has been feeling by me that I am an incarnation of Master painter nihal chand. who was the chief artist of Kishangarh Darbar .His Fame rest on the invention of a highly stylized facial type for the portrayal of Radha .This type is characterized by an elongated face with a raceding forehead, arched eyebrows , Lotus-like Eyes, slightly tinged with pink ,a sharp pointed nose like a Cypress,Thin sensitive lips and a pointed chin. Decked with ornaments wearing a gold embroidered transparent wrap and a curl of hair resting on her face, Radha appears charming . The Sanskrit ideal of female beauty Where a woman's eyes are compared to a Lotus is visualizes in her portrait. My favourite painting made by me on old handmade paper with natural stones colours.
Mahatma Gandhi ji and second Prime Minister Late Sh. Lal Bahadur ji Shastri.
His metal works Portraits engraved and embossed. This is the most difficult and reare work in the world to do rivers engraving on the steel block.
RANA SANGRAM SINGH 2nd OF MEWAR, Smoking Hukka.Rajasthan, MEWAR.Udaipur, Ca.1725 - 35.
His painting, on old handmade paper with natural stones colours.
His Painting on Antique Paper by Natural Stone Colours :Royal Queen Hawking With Her Maids Near The Lake. Guler School Himachal Valley Painting, c18.
Miniature painting gives a different sense of satisfaction & peace of mind. The one who starts liking it becomes passionate & fanatical about it. The one who recognizes the depth of it gets closer to god. He / she need not even visit temples. Paintings make you spiritually inclined.
He Made This Painting from Bikaner Courts.
Maharaj Amar Singh ji " Caused his Steed to Spring.The Animal had his feet on The Elephant's Tusks " and Maharaj Amar Singh ji " had one hand on the Howdah while with the other He had dealt Arab Khan (The Mughal General) " a mortal blow...
The Man - Lion Incarnation of Lord Vishnu , appeared to kill Demon Hiranya Kashyap was the father of his pious devotee the young Prahlad. Here is a very rare & only painting on the earth "SHARVRAJ", Which is related after killed Demon Hiranyakashipu, Lord Narasimha became so angry ,he was not able to calm his down,so that all the gods reached to Lord Shiva and pray to protect his anger. Lord Shiva become "SHARVRAJ" and took him in sky and dropped him on the ground so He calm down. According to our ancient legends when Narsingh Bhagwan took incarnation to kill Hiranya Kashyap Lord Narasimha took all the anger this universe inside him by which he became aavesh Avatar or Krodh Avatar of Lord Vishnu but due to uncertain scenarios Hiranya Kashyap died very soon and Lord Narsingh didn't get to calm himself down when he was burning in anger and was about to burn the whole universe with his anger everybody present tried to calm him down but no one succeeded so finally everyone went to Lord Shiva after that he took the incarnation with the help of the vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi that is owl, his own vehicle nandi that is bull, his neck Serpent and brother of Sheshnag that is Vasuki nag. This legendary incarnation of Lord Shiva was known by the name of "Sharbhraj" which then after clutched and controlled the body of lord narsingh to calm him down and finally succeeded. This painting is made by me. It's a rare Collection of Rajrajeshwar Temple , City Palace Jaipur.
His Painting of 'Ram Darbar' Jaipur School painting 18 th century.Recompose by me with the real gold embossed, used natural stone colours on old handmade paper.
His embossed real gold paintings
My father has been my influencer. I have got this talent from my father. His work was beyond explanation. Even Arjun did not teach Abhimanyu to break the chakravyuh. I would also love to spread my knowledge to others.
Biography of Eminent Artist Padmashri Tilak Gitai