Krishna Reddy

Krishna Reddy was an influential Indian printmaker and sculptor whose innovations transformed the possibilities of colour printmaking in the twentieth century. Born in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, in 1925, he studied at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, under Nandalal Bose between 1942 and 1947, before serving as head of the art section at Kalakshetra, Madras. These formative years established his enduring interest in the relationship between nature, the human figure, and abstraction.

With the support of philosopher J. Krishnamurti, Reddy travelled to Europe, studying at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and training in sculpture under artists including Henry Moore, Ossip Zadkine, and Marino Marini. His encounters with Constantin Brâncuși and Alberto Giacometti further broadened his understanding of modern sculpture. In Paris, Zadkine introduced him to S. W. Hayter and Atelier 17, where Reddy's most significant technical innovations emerged.

Working alongside Hayter, Reddy pioneered the colour viscosity process, a method of simultaneous colour printing that enabled multiple colours of varying intensity to be produced from a single plate. Each resulting print possessed subtle variations, giving it the character of a unique image. His abstract and semi-abstract prints often evoke organic forms, landscapes, and the human body through richly textured surfaces and rhythmic compositions.

Reddy became the first Indian director of Atelier 17 and achieved international recognition for his contributions to printmaking. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1972 and later moved to New York, where he continued to work until his death in 2018. His innovations remain central to the history of modern printmaking.