Indian Abstract artist Jeram Patel was a pioneer in India for using blow torches as a woodwork medium This technique was acquired by him in japan He was born in Sojitra village which falls in the Kaira district of Gujarat He was also one of the co-founders of ‘Group 1890’ It was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru and its catalogue was written by Mexican Poet Octavio Paz However, Group did not last beyond their first exhibition He pursued his art studies at JJ School of Arts, Mumbai Further, he studied typography and publicity design at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London He was a faculty member at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda 

 

In the late 1950s and 60s, he was one of the artists to formulate a new visual identity of Indian art and abstract methods 

 

He is a recipient of Kala Ratna in 1997 by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society; Emeritus Fellowship in 1994 by the Indian government; Ravishankar Raval Award in 1992 by Gujarat Government; Fellowship by Royal Society of Arts, London in 1980; National Award for Design in 1976; Silver Medal by Bombay Art Society, Mumbai in 1960 and National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1957,63,73 and 84 

 

He participated in several solo exhibitions, a few of them are, the Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata in 2011; Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi in 2009; Anant Art, New Delhi in 2007; Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2006; Gallery Espace, New Delhi in 2004; etc Some of his group exhibitions are, Seven Painters, London in 1967; Kunika Chemould Art Gallery, New Delhi in 1968; Indian Painters, Kolkata in 1969; Contemporary Indian Painters, Tehran in 1970; Renwick Gallery, Washington DC in 1973; Asian Artists Exhibition, Tokyo in 1979; Graphic Print Exhibition, Festival of India, USA and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1985; Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1989; Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery, University of Victoria, USA and Drawing 94, New Delhi in 1994; Delhi Art Gallery and Palette Art Gallery in New Delhi, in 2005; Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai in 2006; Gallery Espace, New Delhi and Sarjan Art Gallery, Vadodara in 2008; and many more

 

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art [KNMA] hosted his work under the name, ‘The dark loam: between memory and membrane’ in October 2016 Unfortunately, he died in the same year He died at the age of 86 due to severe cold and congestion