Artist of the Month September

At 93, most people seek rest. Krishna Gopal Ranjit picks up his brush.

There’s a certain energy in his studio that feels timeless, not just because of the old canvases, but because the man himself seems untouched by time. “At 93, I still pick up my brush and colors with the same energy, the same dreams, and the same zest for life,” he says. It’s not a boast, but a truth. In his steady hands lies the story of a lifetime spent in deep, joyful service to art.

His journey began not with a sketchbook or a formal education, but with an unspoken desire. “When I was a child, I had no idea what a pencil was. I didn’t have one until later,” he recalls. “But even before I held a pencil in my hand, I knew I wanted to draw. There was something inside me that drew me to create, it was as if I was born with an instinct for art.” That instinct would become his life’s foundation.

Nature became his first teacher. Growing up in a small town where the rhythms of life moved in harmony with the natural world, Ranjit found himself drawn to a mountain just beyond his window. “I’ve always had a deep love for nature, and it has been a profound source of inspiration for my art,” he reflects. “That mountain—I would sit for hours, gazing at it, feeling as though it was gazing back at me.” This quiet communion with nature shaped his early works, landscapes, layered in emotion and memory.

Even as his skills matured and his work reached galleries and public collections, Ranjit’s outlook remained rooted in simplicity. “Life should be free of worries,” he says. “If you’re not pursuing what makes you happy, even though you’re here, you’re not truly present in life.” This philosophy pulses through his paintings: scenes not merely observed, but felt; brushstrokes that tell stories of resilience, peace, and joy.

Perhaps the most enduring lesson he offers is about perseverance and presence. “If people never give up on themselves, their energy stays strong, and your worries fade away. When you do what you love, you hardly notice how quickly time flies.” These words resonate not only as advice but as a lived truth. Watching him paint, you see it—the stillness of the moment, the thrill of creation, the complete immersion in doing what he was born to do.

Ranjit’s art is not only a visual legacy but a spiritual one. In a world that rushes forward, his presence reminds us to pause, to observe, and to create with care. He is living proof that passion doesn’t come with age—it deepens, like a well that never dries.

This month, we honor Krishna Gopal Ranjit not just for his long and prolific career, but for embodying what it means to live artfully—with curiosity, courage, and boundless heart.