Nature’s Way

Haku Shah,73,has juggled many identities —of an artist,a Gandhian philosopher,a scholar and a writer. In the book Manush — Un Chinha—Aapa Chinha (Rajkamal Prakashan,Rs 350),he talks about the one influence that unites his many vocation—Nature. “I was teaching at the Gandhian Ashram in south Gujarat when I began looking for for God and I found it in nature,” says Shah (inset) ,a recepient of several awards like the Padma Shri,the Nehru Fellowship and the Kala Ratna for his contribution to art. Nature has always influenced his art and his life,his paintings entwine human figures with nature. “Manush contains details of my personal philosophy. Hindi writer Piyush Daiya had come to stay with me in Ahmedabad in 2008. I was discussing experiences of my life and art with him and he recorded all those conversations; these form the book,” says Shah who was in Delhi recently for the book launch and an exhibition at the IIC Annexe.