‘The Ravi Paranjape Foundation’ is founded with
a mission to revive ‘design-based culture’

Shri. K.R. Paranjape

The Ravi Paranjape Foundation

Inspired after being conferred with an esteemed Dayawati Modi Foundation’s lifetime achievement award for Art, Culture & Education in 1996, Artist Ravi and Mrs. Smita Paranjape, established the ‘Ravi Paranjape Foundation’ in 1998 with the specific objective of recognizing talented but underappreciated senior artists who greatly contributed to the field of visual arts. For that purpose, the Foundation instituted ‘K.R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar’ named after Raviji’s artist and educator father who had a great influence on Raviji’s development and career.
This award included an elegant citation and cash reward to the deserving artists. Since its establishment in 1998, the Foundation has felicitated eleven senior artists with the Gunijan Kala Puraskar. Foundation also offered ‘Yuva Puraskar’ with scholarships to three promising young artists.

Over the years the Foundation’s objective evolved further into reviving the ‘design-based culture’ by providing artistic enrichment to the society and building an ‘art literate community’ through the various initiatives of ‘The Ravi Paranjape Studio’. Foundation published several books authored by Raviji on topics ranging from art & artists to philosophy and social reform from an aesthetical viewpoint.

K.R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar

The Foundation has reformed the ‘K.R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar’ starting from the year 2022 to widen its scope. ‘Gunijan Kala Puraskaar’ is awarded annually to an individual who is currently active in the field of visual arts for at least fifteen years, and has made a significant & meaningful contribution to any facet of visual arts including fine arts, illustration, photography, calligraphy and the like, and whose work and views are complementary to the artistic philosophy adapted by the Ravi Paranjape Foundation.

Shri. K.R. Paranjape

The Ravi Paranjape Foundation

Inspired after being conferred with an esteemed Dayawati Modi Foundation’s award for Art, Culture & Education in 1996, Ravi Paranjape established the ‘Ravi Paranjape Foundation’ in early 1998 with an objective of recognizing talented but underappreciated artists who have greatly contributed to the field of visual arts and to revive the design based culture.

The foundation instituted ‘K.R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar’ in honor of Raviji’s artist and educator father.  Shri. K.R. Paranjape was instrumental in nurturing Raviji’s artistic talent from very early age and supporting Raviji through every challenge he encountered in professional as well as personal life. The foundation also offers grants to promising young artists. Many such individuals are given an opportunity to present their work to the patrons of the The Ravi Paranjape Studio’. Nisha and Sanjeev Nene, from Los Angeles USA sponsored the ‘Ravi Paranjape Yuva Puraskaar’ to three brilliant young artists on behalf of the foundation.

​Currently the Foundation is focusing on expanding and enhancing The Ravi Paranjape Studio and its offerings.

Gunijan Kala Puraskar 2022 - Artist Shri Rahul Deshpande

Ravi Paranjape Foundation’s ‘Gunijan Kala Puraskar’ of 2022 is awarded to Shri Rahul Deshpande, a leading artist and an art educator from Pune. 

Artist Rahul Deshpande has made his mark in the areas of fine arts, designing, illustration and art education in an impressive career of thirty years and continuing. He has also contributed in conceptualizing, designing, illustrating and authoring over twenty books on art related topics. Currently he is a faculty member of the Graphic Design department at Symbiosis Institute of Design in Pune.

Foundation’s managing trustee Mrs. Smita Paranjape says that with the ‘Gunijan Kala Puraskar’, consisting of a certificate of honor and cash reward of Rs. 75,000; The Ravi Paranjape Foundation recognizes Shri Rahul Deshpande’s artistic maturity, creativity and consistency in his work.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/theraviparanjapestudio for event pictures and updates.

The distinguished senior artists felicitated with 'K. R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar' and
the promising young artists with 'Ravi Paranjape Yuva Puraskar'

K. R. Paranjape Gunijan Kala Puraskar recipients

  • Shri. Shivaji Tupe, Landscape artist
  • Shri. Bhaiyasaheb Omkar, Painter, Illustrator
  • Shri S. D. Phadnis, Cartoonist, Illustrator
  • Shri. Bal Thakur, Illustrator
  • Shri. Kamal Shedge, Typography designer
  • Shri. Shri S.S. Shaikh, Painter
  • Shri. R.K. Joshi, Typographyer, Designer
  • Shri. Madan Garge, Sculptor, clay artist
  • Shri. Dattatreya Padekar, Painter, Illustrator
  • Shri. G.S. Majgaonkar, Painter, Illustrator
  • Shri. Maruti Patil, Painter, Illustrator

Ravi Paranjape Yuva Puraskar recipients