One of post-independence India’s significant abstract, expressionist and pioneer painters, Hari Ambadas Gade was also among founders of the Progressive Art movement He stated, “I came to know about modern art after joining the Progressive Artists Group” He opted for an unconventional style, and rebelled against the set norms of academic art, imposed by the British education system, as most PAG members did at that time 

 

Born in Amravati in the state of Maharashtra in 1917, he did his graduation (science), though he was fond of drawing since childhood He submitted 2 of his paintings at a national exhibition in Nagpur, 1946 where one of them won a prize which portrayed an old man with a white flowing beard Soon, he enrolled into the Nagpur School of Art to pursue his Diploma in Art in 1949, and later, a master's in Fine Arts in 1950  Meanwhile, He came in touch with SH Raza, who provided him with precious inputs The talented artist started off by primarily painting water-colours However, he gradually switched to painting oils on canvas Gade made use of the palette knife as well as brush to finish his paintings 

His scientific inclination is reflected in geometrically structured landscapes which are also evocative of cubism 

 

Gade had his exhibition in Mumbai in 1947, and a year later at the annual Bombay Art Society show He was invited for a show in Paris, and at Stanford University in 1949 His works were exhibited at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 1954 As several art critics have rightly pointed out, his art practice stands on a solid intellectual platform and his works reflect a unique streak, wherein colour is of great importance, and form happens to be only incidental 

 

The young artist, who first painted some beautiful landscapes, was affected and touched by the slum life that he witnessed across the city of Mumbai and the poverty therein The abject living conditions, dirty slums and poverty often cropped up in his paintings However, Gade did not really abandon his passion for landscapes He would travel quite frequently, traversing the deserts and palaces of Udaipur, Kerala’s lush greenery, and the dense forests elsewhere It’s not wrong to mention that he indeed remained one of the first progenitors of abstract art in India

 

His landscapes are a treasure to behold He also did an exquisite series on monsoon greens Hari Ambadas Gade passed away in 2001