Ram Kumar

After his figurative phase, Ram Kumar's works moved towards abstraction and by the early 70's, his landscapes were reduced to barely recognizable forms, depicted with shifting vertical and horizontal planes. His works from this period mark a decisive stage in his quest to achieve absolute purity in his paintings. 'Gradually, the architecture drained away from his canvasses: society itself passed from his concerns, until, during the late 1960's, his paintings assumed the character of abstractionist hymns to nature.' (Ranjit Hoskote, Ram Kumar, Recent Works, Saffron & Pundole Art Gallery exhibition catalogue, May-July 2002, p.6)

 'Like a dedicated ascetic Ram Kumar had to undergo the final rite of purification by renouncing not only the human body which he had done earlier but also its habituation on earth, the city, and make a decisive leap into nature itself.' (Nirmal Verma in Ram Kumar: A Retrospective, New Delhi, February, 1994, p.7) In this work, colour rather than figures take precedence, giving the painting dynamic spaces and perspectives. Rich blue and brown hues are melded together, so that 'the landscape evolved into a grand metaphor, a crucible of meteorological energies, a dynamic equilibrium poised among tectonic forces of imperious majesty.' (Ranjit Hoskote in Ram Kumar: A Journey Within, New Delhi, 1996, p.38)