Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde

Born in 1924, in Nagpur, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde received his art diploma from the J. J. School of Art in 1948. Regarded as one of India’s foremost abstract painters, in 1950 he was invited to join the influential Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group.
He had several exhibitions held in India as well as in foreign countries. In 1956, he participated in the Indian art exhibition, which was held in Eastern European countries. He also participated in other group exhibitions held at the Graham Art Gallery, New York, in 1959 and 1963. Gaitonde’s abstract works are produced in many Indian and overseas collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
In 1957, he was awarded the first prize at the Young Asian Artists Exhibition, Tokyo and the Rockefeller Fellowship followed in 1964. In 1971, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. He lived and worked in Nizamuddin East area of Delhi, and died in 2001.