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Kolkata: At the Zee 24 Ghanta Ananya Samman 2026, veteran artist Ganesh Haloi was honoured for his distinctive and lifelong contribution to Indian modern art.
Ganesh Haloi’s artistic journey reflects a deep engagement with history, memory and transformation. Influenced by the flowing landscapes of the Brahmaputra, the trauma of Partition and the enduring impact of the Ajanta cave murals, his early visual language evolved through decades of experimentation and introspection.
From figurative compositions to lyrical abstraction, Haloi’s work traces a significant transition in post-Independence Indian art. His practice reflects a dialogue between the legacy of the Bengal School and European modernism, moving through phases of Abstract Expressionism before arriving at what critics often describe as “poetic abstraction.” For Haloi, this evolution was not merely stylistic—it was a process of rediscovering the self through layered memories and lived experience.
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Art historians note that the “landscape” in Haloi’s canvases often transcends geography, becoming an “innerscape” shaped by emotion and reflection. His compositions, marked by subtle gradations of colour and meditative geometry, create a contemplative visual field where light, air and horizon merge seamlessly. Colours and lines in his works appear organic and breathing, inviting viewers into quiet introspection.
During his formative years, Haloi was influenced by renowned artist Benode Behari Mukherjee, while the bold modernist approaches of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse expanded his visual vocabulary. However, he has consistently emphasised assimilation over imitation, blending global modernism with Indian philosophical thought, classical music traditions and folk aesthetics.
Working across watercolour and acrylic, his canvases often reveal layered surfaces where time itself appears sedimented. The interplay of stillness and movement, structure and silence, defines his mature style.
Over the decades, Ganesh Haloi has exhibited widely in India and abroad, earning recognition from collectors, critics and institutions. Beyond painting, he has also contributed as an art thinker and writer, articulating reflections on silence and space within visual art.
Recognising his singular artistic vision, Zee 24 Ghanta Ananya Samman 2026 conferred upon him a special honour for his exceptional contribution to Indian painting.
The award acknowledges not only a distinguished career but also a creative philosophy that continues to inspire, reminding audiences that every outward landscape ultimately leads back to an inner horizon.
