Francis Newton Souza

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FN Souza (2002)

Francis Newton Souza , mostly just FN Souza (born April 12, 1924 in Goa , † March 28, 2002 in Mumbai ) was an Indian artist. He is considered one of the most important modern artists in his country.

Life

Souza was the son of a seamstress. In 1929 the family moved to Bombay , now Mumbai . After he survived the smallpox, his mother added the name Francis, based on Franz Xaver , the Catholic patron saint of Goa. In 1940 he entered the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art , which was academically in the British tradition. He joined the Communist Party of India . Together with Krishnaji Howlaji Ara , Sadanand K. Bakre , Hari Ambadas Gade , Maqbul Fida Husain and Syed Haider Raza , he founded the Progressive Artists' Group (PAG) in Bombay .

In 1949 he settled in London , where he made a living as a journalist. In 1955 his autobiographical essay Nirvana Of A Maggot was published, through which he was referred to Victor Musgrave , the owner of Gallery One, through Stephen Spender . Souza's first exhibition was sold out. A very successful decade followed. At the age of 40, he married a girl who was only 17, which made headlines in England.

Souza and his wife settled in the United States after receiving a gallery deal from Schuster in Detroit . He lived in New York until his death , but spent a lot of time in India.

Souza was married several times and had five children.

Act

Souza has remained true to himself over the years. He depicted crucifixes and evening meals, the mother and child, but also erotic nudes, still lifes and landscapes. The Crucifixion (1959) exhibited in the Tate Modern can be regarded as a particularly impressive and at the same time brutal example . His depictions of Christ and the power of his erotic acts are convincing. According to Souza, the whole meaning of life is life itself and everything happens according to nature's intention.

Awards

  • First Prize at the Bombay Art Society Exhibition (1947)

credentials

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Christopher P. Wood: FN Souza. India's first modern artist. In: The Guardian. June 17, 2002 (English) https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/17/guardianobituaries.obituaries
personal data
SURNAME Souza, Francis Newton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Souza, FN
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian artist
DATE OF BIRTH April 12, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Goa
DATE OF DEATH March 28, 2002
Place of death Mumbai