Page 85 - Contemporary Indian Art

Lot No. 64

Nataraj Sharma
b. 1958

TAILOR AHMED 6TH MAIN 36TH CROSS
72 x 108 in (183 x 274.3 cm)
Oil on canvas
Signed: Verso

` 30,00,000 – 40,00,000 | $ 37,037 - 49,383

Born in Mysore in 1958, Nataraj Sharma’s
upbringing was marked by a mosaic of locales,
spanning Egypt, England, and Zambia. These
formative years as a global nomad imbued him
with a profound sense of displacement and
ambivalence, yet paradoxically laid the foundation
for his expansive and resolute visual lexicon.
Occupying the threshold of modernity, Sharma’s
artistic journey is a tapestry woven from myriad
influences, offering poignant reflections on the
intricate interplay between humanity, landscapes,
and urbanization. His canvases, imbued with both
wit and introspection, delve into the ramifications
of swiftly evolving urban landscapes. Employing
a complex interplay of visual elements—
memories, sweeping vistas, technology,
intricate imagery, and the natural world—Sharma
crafts a distinctive visual dialect that infuses
familiar imagery with fresh connotations.
His large-scale works are simultaneously
dramatic, contemplative, serene, and defiant.

Sharma commenced his artistic education at
the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao
University, Baroda, graduating in 1982. A
consummate experimenter, he has traversed
various mediums and genres, enriching his oeuvre
both in substance and form. From oil and acrylic
paintings to figural studies, portraiture, mixed
media compositions, and expansive installations,
Sharma’s repertoire is as diverse as it is compelling.
Honored with the Sotheby’s Prize for Emerging
Artists in 1993 and partaking in a transformative
artist residency at the Singapore Tyler Print
Institute (STPI) in 2006, Sharma’s works have
graced prestigious solo and group exhibitions
worldwide, including esteemed venues like Aicon
Gallery, New York.