18 Facts About Laxman Pai

Laxman Pai was a principal of the Goa College of Art, a post he held from 1977 to 1987.

Laxman Pai was born in a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin family in Margao, Portuguese Goa, on 21 January 1926.

Laxman Pai was beaten by the Portuguese police after being arrested and for this reason, his parents sent him to the city of Bombay where he studied at the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai from 1943 to 1947.

Laxman Pai offered a satyagraha outside the Margao Police Station in 1946.

Laxman Pai recalls that once, a nude painting by Francis Newton Souza was objected to by the then Chief Minister of Bombay State, Morarji Desai.

Laxman Pai wrote a letter about it to the Sir JJ School of Art but was told to drop his accusations against the Director.

Laxman Pai declined to do so and was expelled as a result.

Laxman Pai went to Paris and studied fresco and etching there.

Laxman Pai studied at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts and stayed in Paris for ten years.

Laxman Pai had to his credit more than 110 one-man shows across the globe.

Laxman Pai participated in numerous Biennials in Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo.

Laxman Pai was instrumental in creating the new college campus in Altinho area of Panaji.

From 1947 to 1950 Laxman Pai was largely inspired by Goan subjects and the concept of Indian miniatures.

Laxman Pai painted various paintings based on different ragas of Indian classical music.

Laxman Pai's painting series,'Musical Moods' was inspired by Indian classical ragas.

Laxman Pai's paintings are in the collection of Ben and Abby Grey Foundation, New York Public Library, Berlin Museum, Centre national des arts plastiques, Madras Museum, Nagpur Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, and Punjab University Museum.

Laxman Pai married Purnima, whom he had met earlier in Shimla, at the age of 40.

Laxman Pai died on 14 March 2021, at his home in Dona Paula in Goa.