Shanti Dave Biography 
Shanti Dave is an accomplished sculpture and painter of present times. Born in Badpura, Gujarat, he has made some significant contributions to modern art post Indian independence. For his outstanding contributions to Indian art he was honoured with Padma Sri by government of India in 1985. He won the Lalit Kala Akademi three years consecutively from 1956 to 1958. He received Kalidas Samman given by the government of Madhya Pradesh in 2006-2007 for his contributions to Indian art.
Dave was born on 25 September 1931 in Badpura village of Gujarat. He along with his brother lived with his mother. He took BA and Master’s in painting from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. His introduction to the world of arts began as a signboard and banner painter in Ahmedabad in the early 1950s. Slowly he made his mark as a good painter and earned appreciations. He did mural painting in many airports of India and abroad in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He adopted abstract style of work.
He was send by Air India to decorate its offices in Frankfurt and Sydney. He did mural painting in one of the VIP lounges of an airport in New York, which is very close to his heart. The work was deeply inspired by hardships he faced during childhood. The mural at the airport was published by the New York Times on its front page on 5 February 1964. It was titled Little Gujarat, and one of the best appreciations he received ever.
Since 1957 he conducted many solo exhibitions across the world. He also used wax with oil paint techniques together with calligraphy. He incorporated wood block painting, stone carving and weaving for his works. Apart from exhibitions in major cities of the globe and India, he has also taken private assignments.
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Updated: June 26, 2016
