Kripal Singh Shekhawat
Encyclopedia
Kripal Singh Shekhawat was a renowned craftsman
of India
. He was famous for his skills in Blue Pottery
and is credited for the revival of that art in India. He died on February 15, 2008 in Jaipur.
Born in the western Indian state of Rajasthan
in 1922, he studied original painting at the Shanti Niketan in West Bengal
and later did a diploma in Oriental Arts from the Tokyo University, Japan.
He was also the director of Sawai Ram Singh Shilpa Kala Mandir at Jaipur
where he taught Indian painting and Blue Pottery.
He was conferred the Padma Shri
in 1974 and was also honoured with the title Shilp Guru
by the Government of India
in 2002. Unknown to many, Kripal Singh is renowned for his illustrations in the original document of the Constitution
of India.
A distinguished traditional artist, Kripal Singh's paintings are poetic. They carry the expression of the traditional and early styles of painting with bold innovations in a delicate and refined manner. His works also claim an important historical place in the organic evolution of traditional paintings. There is no one who can create his style of painting with great detail he has shown the birds, clothes, animals flowers which shows the dedication with he creats a real painting.
He also revived the art of blue pottery which had become dead. He made many changes with the designs. It was due to his hard work that the blue pottery has reached the pinnacle.
There are many people who try to mislead the tourists by telling them that they are the family of Mr. Kripal Singh Shekhawat. During Mr. Shekhawat's time, they used to say that he is dead! Some even used to make a person wear dhoti kurta, shawl favoured by Mr. Shekhawat and say that this man is him. Now since he is no more, they say that Kripal Kumbh is closed, but it is not so. It is still run by his wife Shrimati Sajjan Kanwar assisted by his three daughters namely Ms. Minakshi Rathore, Ms. Himani Rathore and Ms. Kumud Rathore.
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was famous for his skills in Blue Pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and is credited for the revival of that art in India. He died on February 15, 2008 in Jaipur.
Born in the western Indian state of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in 1922, he studied original painting at the Shanti Niketan in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and later did a diploma in Oriental Arts from the Tokyo University, Japan.
He was also the director of Sawai Ram Singh Shilpa Kala Mandir at Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
where he taught Indian painting and Blue Pottery.
He was conferred the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1974 and was also honoured with the title Shilp Guru
Shilp Guru
Shilp Guru is an award conferred by Government of India every year to the master craftspersons in innovating different styles and designs of the traditional craftsmanship, to continue with the highest level of aesthetic character, quality and skill in the traditional Indian Handicrafts .They were...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 2002. Unknown to many, Kripal Singh is renowned for his illustrations in the original document of the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of India.
A distinguished traditional artist, Kripal Singh's paintings are poetic. They carry the expression of the traditional and early styles of painting with bold innovations in a delicate and refined manner. His works also claim an important historical place in the organic evolution of traditional paintings. There is no one who can create his style of painting with great detail he has shown the birds, clothes, animals flowers which shows the dedication with he creats a real painting.
He also revived the art of blue pottery which had become dead. He made many changes with the designs. It was due to his hard work that the blue pottery has reached the pinnacle.
There are many people who try to mislead the tourists by telling them that they are the family of Mr. Kripal Singh Shekhawat. During Mr. Shekhawat's time, they used to say that he is dead! Some even used to make a person wear dhoti kurta, shawl favoured by Mr. Shekhawat and say that this man is him. Now since he is no more, they say that Kripal Kumbh is closed, but it is not so. It is still run by his wife Shrimati Sajjan Kanwar assisted by his three daughters namely Ms. Minakshi Rathore, Ms. Himani Rathore and Ms. Kumud Rathore.