Haripal Tyagi

Haripal Tyagi (1934-2019) was a leading painter of India. He was also a poet and writer. Though he is best known for his abstract paintings depicting the common men in all their dimensions of life, he is also known as a prominent historian of Indian art primarily for his book in Hindi titled 'Bharatiya Kala Ka Udbhav Aur Vikas'. His book on satire - 'Mahapurush' - in Hindi reveals his wonderful ability of making satire without victimizing the subject of satire. He composed brilliant poems, stories, and novels concerned with common man. His other writings, such as articles, criticism, biography drag the readers attention to the sensibilities of the common man that is generally overlooked.

This is how he had narrated about his world of art and a little bit about himself in an article titled 'The moments of poetry without words: My world of arts.'

• My journey of arts began right from my childhood. With the passage of time it continued inching forward to bloom. Obstacles on the way too came not in small numbers. They were many. Having undergone the tribulations, I have earned the right to say that I have paid the cost of art. I could not have any formal learning in arts; however, due to a deep interest in arts and artists, and an irresistible desire to do something in this direction, I went on creating and learning in the process. Obviously, my curiosities about the infinitesimal mysteries of animate world and the nature have shaped me to develop in a particular fashion. In other words, the creative works done by me have verily fostered me.

• During the initial exercises, I was making efforts to draw on paper the external shapes and vividness of the life and nature as it is. The process, obviously, allowed the mistakes to enter into my creations and creativity and made their place. In course of time, liberation from the external shapes coupled with unrestricted use of lines and colours gave me the experience of creating a new world of art. With the new perspectives of aestheticism and the search for new aspects, I did experienced such a happiness and joy that made the moments, the moments of highest accomplishment.

• My techniques and style have been changing in the last 10 – 12 years. It has been on the path of liberation from the external shapes and realities of the objects. Say it abstract, but it is merely a word used in criticism to express a particular concept of style which is yet to be sufficiently explained and despite making us feel its dominance, it is out of the reach of words. Although, abstraction is not an obstacle for communication, it might be difficult to understand that too depends on the mindset of the viewer.

• These paintings, produced in mixed media, are the products of new experiments at an entirely different level to form a new world of arts. I have made these creations keeping it in mind that thoughts, space, abstracts, meanings and colours intermingle in such a way that reflect inter-relationships among each and every cross section of the portrait and the flow of colours.

• Nothing is useless for me that is scattered all around. Even the things we treat as scrape may appear in my world of art to give shape and symbolize the live traditions. If my confidence is not taken to be self-praise, I will say that viewer may not be able move quickly from one painting to the other, because none of them is in hurry to express itself – they may take their own time to be completely perceived and grasped. It may give new insight to the viewers.

• In some of the portraits of my first series of exhibition “Hadsa”, there were crows of this world, and now there are the birds from a different world. Coming from a world of subconsciousness or dreamworld, these birds wish to fly unrestricted and without any burden, to express themselves to the maximum in the infinite sky, so that each and every moment of the art may become poetic. I also express myself in words in various genres of literature. I have penned a few books and presently edit a Hindi quarterly “Bharatiya Lekhak.”

Nearby pages
Hariri, Harishchandra, Harlech, Harlequin, Harmattan, Harminder Bay Beach, Harmodius