Dept of Art and Culture Pays Tributes To Legendary Artist Pai

Panaji, March 17, 2021
Phalguna 26, 1942

Minister for Art and Culture Shri Govind Gaude has expressed deep sorrow about the sad demise of the legendary artist, Padma Bhushan Laxman Pai.

Shri Laxman Pai was a celebrated contemporary artist, academic, staunch cultural nationalist and mentor to several aspiring painters who was born in Margao, Goa on 21 January 1926. He later moved to Mumbai in his teens, he completed his art education from the famed Sir J. J. School of Art where he was awarded the prestigious Mayo medal.

Shri Pai served as the Principal of Goa College of Art, Goa for a decade from 1977 to 1987, He also served on Board of Studies for the painting faculty for Bombay and Goa University. Besides this he contributed by serving on executive board of Lalit Kala Academi and as a member of General Council of Lalit Kala Academi and Sangeet NatakAcademi.

He has to his credit more than 100 one-man shows across the globe. His solo exhibitions have been held at London, Munich, New York, Stuttgart, Hanover, Bremen, Singapore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Panaji and other places. He has also participated in numerous Biennales that includes Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Shri Pai has been bestowed the prestigious civilian awards – Padma Shri in the year 1985 and Padma Bhushan in the year 2018 by Government of India, Gomant Vibhushan Award in the year 2015-16 by Government of Goa. He was also the threetime recipient of Lalit Kala AkademiNational Awards.

His paintings are in various private and public collections including the prestigious Museum of Modern Art, Paris; New York Public Library, Berlin Museum, Ben & Abbey Grey Foundation (USA), National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Punjab, Chennai and Nagpur, as informed by Department of Information and Publicity.

DI/NB/AXP/PP /RLM/2021/1212