Artist S.U. Nayak

First Online: April 01, 2019
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024

Sheshgiri Upendra Nayak, popularly known as S.U. Nayak was a neo-impressionist artist from India famous for his depiction of Indian Landscapes.

Brief Biography of Artist S. U. Nayak

(Details provided by artist's family)

• Born in 1912 in Gundbale village of Ankola town in Uttar Kannada District of Karnataka State.
• Graduated from J. J. School of Art, Bombay.
• Worked over 30 years in the creative group of Lintas and retired from his post of senior visualiser in 1968 to devote his whole time to painting.
• Was on Managing committee of Bombay Art School since 1970
• Displayed paintings at Lintas group shows, Bombay art society and other exhibitions since 1961 and at his one man shows at the Taj art gallery regularly since 1968. Followed by one man shows at Mumbai in 1969-1976 and New Delhi in 1973
• Participated in Bombay art Society shows from 1968-1976, All India Fine arts and Crafts Society New Delhi 1964 and Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta 1970-1974.
• Awarded first prize at Amritsar Fine Art Society's exhibition, 1964.
• Represented in the Sao Paolo exhibition of Indian art arranged by Mr. Vander Gag in 1965.
• Participated in group shows held in Brussels and Dusseldorf organized by Kekoo Gandhy, Gallery Chemould.
• This painter's works are held in permanence at Chemoulds in Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta.
• The painter's work fetched the second highest price in the special auction held for relief to Bangladesh in Bombay in 1972.
• His work drew extraordinary attention at the exhibition held for Maharashtra's Drought Relief Fund in 1973.
• Held one-man show in 1973 at the Ashoka Art Gallery, Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi inaugurated by Indira Gandhi who selected and presented one of the works to the New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Norman Kirk.
• Held a successful one man show in London, Paris and Rome in 1979.
• Was awarded the title "Academic of Italy" with a Gold medal and fellowship of the Academia Italia
  His painting was acquired by a prominent group of Indians for the Lord Louis Mountbatten memorial in the UK
• In 1984 he was awarded gold medal for artistic merit by the International Parliament (USA) for safety and peace.
• In 1985 he held a one man show "Glimpses of Karnataka" in Bangalore at the Art Complex. The show was organized by Karanataka Chitrakala Parishath and inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Sri Ramakrishna Hegde.
• Worked in the permanent collections of the Birla Museum Kolkata
• Passed away in 1988 in Mumbai