Education:

1955-1959: Diploma, Creative Painting, Faculty of Fine Art, MSU 1960-1962: Post Diploma, Creative Painting, Faculty of Fine Art, MSU

History:

"Our mission is to shape Creators, not just Artists."

Kanti Rana, a native of Bilimora, joined Fine Arts to study painting in the year 1955. He is a well-known art educator who is affectionately referred to by his students at the Hobby Centre as "Rana sir." The exhibition presents to viewers a rare glimpse into the creator’s lesser-known life – that of a fine artist. He developed his unique visual language as a result of his fine arts education. He was already skilled at painting, but the faculty's leading art professors, N.S. Bendre and K.G. Subramanyan helped him develop his style. In his early years, Kanti Rana produced paintings on canvas, pencil sketches, and watercolors on paper, a number of life studies, rural compositions, and portraits.

He pursued teaching youngsters painting after earning his diploma. His calling was to encourage and mentor children as they explored their creativity with his assistance. He founded Vadodara's first children's Hobby Centre in 1969, a pioneering facility for teaching creativity and the arts. A teacher who worked selflessly to help young kids express themselves, draw and color, and develop their creativity. He dedicated his years to establishing art as the cornerstone of every endeavor the children undertook.

He has won various awards with Michael Madhusudan Award in 1998, Gujarat Gaurav puraskar Pablo picasso International award in 2001, Sanskriti Puraskar in 2008.

He passed away in 2021 at Vadodara.