Introduction
- Date of Birth
- 15 Jun 1911
- Zodiac sign
- Gemini
- Date of Death
- 26 Mar 1996
- Age
- 84
- Place of Birth
- Kattingeri, Karnataka, India
- State Country of Birth
- Karnataka, India
1938
- Diploma in Painting, Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, India
1949
- Study tour, Academie Julian Paris (Painting), France
- Study tour, École Estienne Paris, France
1958
- Visit to Indonesia on a study tour
1939
- Taught at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, India
1953
- Chairman, Artist's Centre, Mumbai, India
1954
- President, Art Society of India, Mumbai , India
1976
- Fellowship, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1978
- President, Lalit Kala Akademi, Karnataka, India
1980
- Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1987
- President, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
Exhibitions
1941
- Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1945
- First one-man show, Mumbai, India
1947
- Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
1949
- Paris, France
- London, UK
1953
- All India Art Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures, traveling to USSR, Poland and West Germany
1956
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1957
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1958
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1961
- One-man show, New York, USA
1963
- New York World Fair, New York, USA
1964
- Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
- Sao Paulo Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Triennale India, New Delhi, India
- New York, USA
1971
- Retrospective, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1973
- Drawings and Paintings, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India
01 Feb 1973 to 07 Feb 1973
1974
- A Handbook of Painting and Graphics, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
1978
- Hebbar: Drawings and Paintings, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
12 Jan 1978 to 22 Jan 1978
1980
1989
1993
06 Mar 1993 to 09 Apr 1993
1997
25 Mar 1997 to 30 Mar 1997
1998
1999
2001
2004
- Manifestations II : Indian Art in the 20th Century', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
2007
- Gateway Bombay, Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA
14 Jul 2007 to 07 Dec 2008
2008
- Moderns, Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan
2009
- Long Gone & Living Now, Gallerie Mirchandani + Steinreucke, Mumbai, India
- Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
- Indian Art After Independence: Selected Works from the Collections of Virginia & Ravi Akhoury and Shelley & Donald Rubin, Emile Lowe Gallery, Hampstead, UK
2010
07 Apr 2010 to 10 Apr 2010
2011
- Manifestations V, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
18 Apr 2011 to 18 Jun 2011
- Manifestations VI, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
24 Oct 2011 to 24 Dec 2011
- The Body Unbound, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, USA
- An Artist's Quest: K.K Hebbar- A Retrospective, at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, India
2012
- The Printed Picture Four Centuries Of Indian Printmaking, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
13 Oct 2012 to 03 Nov 2012
2013
- Manifestations IX: 20th Century Indian Art, Presented by Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Mar 2013 to 11 Aug 2013
- The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
15 Jan 2013 to 15 Mar 2013
Hebbar, K.K. (Artist). The Art of K.K. Hebbar since 1938, 1980 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859945
1945
- First one-man show, Mumbai, India
1949
- Paris, France
- London, UK
1961
- One-man show, New York, USA
1964
- New York, USA
1971
- Retrospective, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1973
- Drawings and Paintings, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India
01 Feb 1973 to 07 Feb 1973
1978
- Hebbar: Drawings and Paintings, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
12 Jan 1978 to 22 Jan 1978
1980
1993
06 Mar 1993 to 09 Apr 1993
1997
25 Mar 1997 to 30 Mar 1997
1999
2011
- An Artist's Quest: K.K Hebbar- A Retrospective, at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, India
Hebbar, K.K. (Artist). The Art of K.K. Hebbar since 1938, 1980 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859945
1941
- Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1947
- Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
1953
- All India Art Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures, traveling to USSR, Poland and West Germany
1956
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1957
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1958
- National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1963
- New York World Fair, New York, USA
1964
- Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
- Sao Paulo Biennale, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Triennale India, New Delhi, India
1974
- A Handbook of Painting and Graphics, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
1989
1998
2001
2004
- Manifestations II : Indian Art in the 20th Century', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
2007
- Gateway Bombay, Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA
14 Jul 2007 to 07 Dec 2008
2008
- Moderns, Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan
2009
- Long Gone & Living Now, Gallerie Mirchandani + Steinreucke, Mumbai, India
- Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
- Indian Art After Independence: Selected Works from the Collections of Virginia & Ravi Akhoury and Shelley & Donald Rubin, Emile Lowe Gallery, Hampstead, UK
2010
07 Apr 2010 to 10 Apr 2010
2011
- Manifestations V, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
18 Apr 2011 to 18 Jun 2011
- Manifestations VI, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
24 Oct 2011 to 24 Dec 2011
- The Body Unbound, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, USA
2012
- The Printed Picture Four Centuries Of Indian Printmaking, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
13 Oct 2012 to 03 Nov 2012
2013
- Manifestations IX: 20th Century Indian Art, Presented by Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Mar 2013 to 11 Aug 2013
- The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
15 Jan 2013 to 15 Mar 2013
01 Sep 2013 to 26 Oct 2013
- Manifestations X: 75 artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Dec 2013 to 08 Mar 2014
2014
- Manifestations XI: 75 Artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, (DAG) JW Marriott Mumbai, India
23 Aug 2014 to 30 Sep 2014
29 Mar 2014 to 15 Jul 2014
- Indian Divine Gods & Goddesses In 19th And 20th Century Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, (DAG) New Delhi, India
18 Mar 2014 to 31 May 2014
2015
- Indian Modern, Narratives from 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New York, USA
19 Mar 2015 to 06 Jun 2015
- Indian Modern, Narratives from 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
13 Jul 2015 to 12 Sep 2015
- Indian Modern, Narratives from 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
25 Sep 2015 to 05 Dec 2015
- The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New York, USA
07 Dec 2015 to 27 Feb 2016
2016
- Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, (DAG) New Delhi, India
08 Mar 2016 to 04 Jun 2016
- The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
10 Oct 2016 to 10 Dec 2016
- The Printed Picture Four Centuries Of Indian Printmaking, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
26 Aug 2012 to 01 Oct 2016
Lalit Kala Akademi (Organiser). Nature and Environment, 1989 | Group Exhibition Catalogue | 00883604
Chronicled Highlights
In 2005, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1983), offered in the Winter Online Auction: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art by Saffronart, which concluded on 08 December 2005 at Online, achieving a sale price of ₹43,77,780 ($94,491). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Economics of Art
Record-high lots17
Public Auction Market (1987–2026) | Select Indicators
Annual Auction Sale Turnover
It aggregates all sales across global auction houses into yearly totals.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The turnover graph highlights periods of strong growth, moments of market correction, and resilience during downturns. Peaks often align with landmark works coming to public auction, while troughs may indicate reduced supply or weaker demand. Over time, the curve illustrates the overall trajectory of K K Hebbar’s public auction market presence.
Average Sale Price Per Lot
It smooths out fluctuations caused by the quantity of works offered and focuses on the Average Sale Price level per artwork.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
Rising average sale prices indicate growing collector confidence and a stronger willingness to pay higher amounts per work. Assuming the mix of mediums remains relatively stable over time, the proportion of works on paper typically priced lower than works on canvas adds important context to understanding these market movements.
Square Inch Rate Trend
This allows fair comparisons between smaller works and larger canvases.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The Square Inch Rate shown in the graph combines various medium types such as canvas, paper, board, and others. Historically, works on canvas and board have broadly commanded higher prices compared to works on paper.
1941
- Gold Medal, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India
1947
- Gold Medal, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India
1954
- Nominated Eminent Artist member of the newly-formed Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1956
- Bombay State Art Award, Mumbai, India
- National Award for the work 'Rhythm', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1957
- National Award for the work 'Song of the Field', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1958
- National Award for the work 'Mahim Dargah', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
1961
- Padma Shri, Government of India, New Delhi, India
1976
- Honorary D. Litt., Mysore University
1983
- Soviet Land Nehru Award
1985
- Karnataka Lalit Kala Akademi Award for Distinguished Artists
1986
- Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award
1988
- Gaurav Puraskar, Government of Maharashtra
1989
- Padma Bhushan, Government of India, New Delhi, India
1990
- Gaurav Puraskar, Government of Maharashtra
Research Centre
Related
50
Personalities
32
Institutions
14
Themes
3
Locations
1