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'''Somalal Shah''' (1905–1994) was an Indian painter and art teacher. Born in [[Kapadvanj]] and educated in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] and [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], he spent three decades painting and teaching art in [[Bhavnagar]] in Saurashtra, Gujarat.

==Early life==
He was born to a shopkeeper Chunilal and Jekorben on 14 February 1905 in [[Kapadvanj]], Gujarat, India. He studied briefly at [[Gujarat College]] in [[Ahmedabad]] and Kalavant Karkhana in [[Vadodara|Baroda]]. He joined [[Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art|Sir J. J. School of Art]], [[Mumbai|Bombay]] in 1926. He further studied at Indian Society of Oriental Art, [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] established by [[Abanindranath Tagore]].<ref name=nht>{{cite news|url=http://www.navhindtimes.in/iexplore/somalal-rich-art-legacy|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140615101511/http://www.navhindtimes.in/iexplore/somalal-rich-art-legacy|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2014|title=Somalal: a rich art legacy|author=Naguesh Rao Sardessai|work=[[The Navhind Times]]|date=January 7, 2012|access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref><ref name=ggn>{{cite news|url=http://www.globalgujaratnews.in/article/art-heritage-of-bhavnagar/|title=ART HERITAGE OF BHAVNAGAR|author=Sandhya Bordewekar|date=July 14, 2012|work=Global Gujarat News|accessdate=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name=gia>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatindianart.com/period2.html|title=Somalal Shah|publisher=greatindianart.com|accessdate=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name="mayaColor"/>

==Career==
On [[Ravishankar Raval]]'s advice, he joined [[Dakshinamurti]], an educational institute established by [[Nanabhai Bhatt (Lokbharti)|Nanabhai Bhatt]], as an arts teacher. Dakshinamurti published a portfolio of fifteen paintings titled ''Rang Rekha'' in 1934–35. In [[Bhavnagar State]], the royal family of Bhavnagar became his patron.<ref name="mayaColor"/> Dakshinamurti moved out of Bhavnagar in 1939. So Somalal taught briefly at Kumarshala and Gharshala until 1943.<ref name="BhattKarode2007">{{cite book|author1=Jyoti Bhatt|author2=Roobina Karode|title=Parallels that Meet: Paintings, Prints, Photographs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pj3WAAAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Delhi Art Gallery|isbn=978-81-904957-0-7}}</ref><ref name="Dhanoa1997">{{cite book|author=Belinder Dhanoa|title=Contemporary art in Baroda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jL6fAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Tulika|isbn=978-81-85229-04-1}}</ref> He joined [[Alfred High School (Bhuj)|Alfred High School]] in 1944 on request of the royals of Bhavnagar state. He taught arts there for two decades.<ref name=nht/><ref name=ggn/><ref name=gia/>

He died in 1994.<ref name=nht/><ref name=gia/>

==Style==
He attempted to use European techniques on Indian subjects. He also worked in styles of [[Indian paintings|Indian miniature paintings]] and the [[Bengali Renaissance|Bengal revivalist movement]].<ref name="mayaColor">https://lalitkalaacademy.gujarat.gov.in/writereaddata/images/pdf/somlal-shah.pdf</ref> He avoided heavy oil colour strokes and muted sepia tones. As he studied in Culcutta, he was greatly influenced by [[Nandalal Bose]] and [[Abanindranath Tagore]]. He used a wash technique which later became his signature style. He lived in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] region of Gujarat for almost three decades where his works depicted the culture and people of the region. He also illustrated the book on the birds of Kutch and Saurashtra.<ref name=nht/><ref name=ggn/><ref name=gia/><ref name="Rao1953">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wP7qAAAAMAAJ|title=Modern Indian Painting|author=P. R. Ramachandra Rao|publisher=Rachana|year=1953}}</ref> His paintings were natural and realistic with great attention to the details.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9NIOAQAAMAAJ|title=Art India: The Art News Magazine of India|publisher=Art India Publishing Company|year=2007|pages=87–88}}</ref>

==Awards==
He was awarded the [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] in 1949. In 1990, he received the Ravishankar Raval State Award for Arts by the [[Government of Gujarat]]. In 1988, [[Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation]] felicitated him. He was also the recipient of an award from the Gujarat Lalit Kala Akademi.<ref name=ggn/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*Esther David, [https://lalitkalaacademy.gujarat.gov.in/writereaddata/images/pdf/somlal-shah.pdf The Maya of Colours]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Somalal}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian male painters]]
[[Category:People from Kheda district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian painters]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]]
[[Category:Painters from Gujarat]]

Somalal Shah - Revision history

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