The Profile of Solomon RAJ, India
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Asian Christian Art Association ( ACAA )
   Dr. P. Solomon RAJ: India

Dr. P. Solomon RAJ was born son of a village mission schoolteacher in the West Godavary district of Andhra Pradesh. He is a Lutheran Theologian from India which wrote his Ph.D. thesis on an indigenous church in India. Solomon RAJ is not only a tehologian but also an artist. His outstanding batiks and wood-cuts have been shown in numerous expositions in Germany, Britain and the USA.

Education

  • B.Sc., from Andhra Christian College, Guntur 1945
  • B.Ed., Government Training College, Rajamundry 1947
  • B.D., Serampore (Gurukul Theological College) 1956
  • M.Sc. in Communication Education, USA
  • Ph.D., Birmingham University, England; dissertation published on a Folk Christian Church in India)
Work Experience:
  • Lecturer, Teachers Training School   1947 - 53
  • Students' Chaplain, Guntur               1956 - 60
  • Christian Education Luthergiri           1960 - 61
  • AV Aids Trainer CARAVS                1961 - 67
  • Suvartha Vani Radio Director            1967 - 77
  • Lecturer, Selly Oak Colleges, U.K    1977 - 82
  • Visiting Professor, USA                   1984 - 86
  • William Patton Fellow, U.K              1987 - 88
  • Lecturer, St. Andrews, Manila          1990 - 92
  • St. Luke's Lalit Kala Ashram At present
Arts Experience:
Dr. RAJ trained first as a free lance artist with Ramarao School of Arts in Rajahmundry, and later in the Indiana University School of Arts graduate program. A member and past president of Indian Christian Arts Association, he was also a member of the Asian Christian Arts Association, Kyoto City, Japan in 1992. During this year he r eceive d an ACAA Scholarship to study Japanese wood block printing.
The Last Supper, 2001

Dr. RAJ lectured every year in several academies and universities in Germany, England, Netherlands, and Toronto, Canada as guest of the Canadian Baptist Mission. He held an art exhibition in each of these places. Many periodicals in these countries related to Arts, Faith and Culture, have published his lectures. Exhibitions, one-person shows and demonstrations also took place at Birmingham University and Selly Oak Colleges.

Patrons include the Christian Conference of Asia; LutheranMission in the USA; Bread for the World; Missio Aachen; Basel Mission; Dutch Reformed Churches Mission, Oegstgeest, Netherlands; VE Mission, Wuppertal: EMS Stuttgart; Christians Aware, England; Jesuit Mission in Nuremberg and Munich; Lutheran Mission in Hermannsburg; and many churches, institutions and individuals in Europe and Asia.
Dr. RAJ currently directs an ashram for fine arts including song, dance and drama.

Published works:

  • Living Flame and Springing Fountain (German language version, Nuremberg, 1988; English Version ISPCK 1993)
  • Liberation in Luke's Gospel - 12 colour woodcuts German version, Nuremberg , 1991; English version, India, 1996)
  • Jesus begegnet Frauen - 10 black and white prints Christ and the women, German text, Munich, 2000)
  • Prayers of creatures, text by Prof. Hollenweger, 6 batik pictures
  • Several posters, Sunday bulletin blanks, greetings cards for Augsburg Fortress Press, U.S.A; Christians Aware, England; VEM Wuppertal; EMS Stuttgart, etc.
  • Several of Dr. RAJ's papers have been published in periodicals around the world, and two calendars have appeared entirely with the artist's works: one by Missio Aachen in 1991, the other by the Dutch Reformed Mission in 1987.
Awards
  • Honorary Fellow of Selly Oak Colleges, 1991
  • Artist in Residence, three Lutheran colleges in the USA, 1986
  • ACAA Scholarship, 1992
Some paintings of Dr. P. Solomon RAJ are:

(10/2001) Please check Solomon RAJ's NEXT GALLERY with his best art works in this recent time.
 
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