FEATURE: Remembering Francis Newton Souza - Born April 12, 1924
Francis Newton (F N) Souza, India's most important and famous modern artist, Francis Newton Souza, was born on April 12, 1924 in Saligao, Goa. Today would have been his 81st birthday. He was raised by his mother, a dressmaker. Souza was pursuing an art education at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai before he was expelled in 1942 for taking part in the 'Quit India' freedom movement. He then went on to found the Progressive Artists' Group in 1947 along with fellow artists, Ara, Raza, Husain and others, leading the edge of the Indian modernist art movement. In 1949 he left for London where after a few years of struggle he began to make a mark on the art scene.
- Awarded the John Moore Prize at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool in 1957
- Received the Italian Government Scholarship in 1960
- In 1967 migrated to New York - received the Guggenheim International Award.
In 1959 his autobiography, 'Words and Lines' was first published.
He has exhibited his work at leading galleries around the world and a number of works are exhibited posthumouly.
His paintings can be found in the Baroda Museum, Baroda, National Gallery, New Delhi, Tate Gallery, London, Wakefield Gallery, Wakefield, Haifa Museum, Israel, National Gallery, Melbourne.
Souza passed away in Mumbai on March 28, 2002.
*** In his Obituary: F.N. Souza - The Myth, the Fury, and the Silence..., Goanetter, Dom Martin writes:
Francis Newton Souza's myth began before he even took the first existential gulp of air. According to him, he was painting murals in his mother's womb. Interestingly enough, this feat was earlier eclipsed by Salvador Dali, who reputedly began the tradition of decorating the maternal cavern.
*** Ben Antao, a passive Goanetter and founder member of Goa-Goans, first wrote about Souza back in 1963 when he interviewed him for an article for the Navhind Times. His article was titled: Francis Newton Souza : Genius in the field of modern art
He then said "......Francis Newton Souza, whom art critics here and abroad have acclaimed a genius in the field of modern art. But there is nothing abstract or three-dimensional in the work of Souza, who is essentially original and individualistic, very much as he is in real life."
The rest of this Feature contains a few of Souza's writings, list of galleries, details on his Obits and pictures of some of his paintings......and can be found at:
http://www.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet/2005-April/026729.html
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