Page 155 - AstaGuru Modern Odyssey

Lot No. 111

RAMESHWAR BROOTA
b. 1941

HEAD I
21.7 x 18 in
Oil on canvas scraped with blade
1989/90
Signed & Dated: Verso

` 20,00,000 - 30,00,000 | $ 24,390 - 36,585

Provenance: Property from a collection based in
Mumbai. Artwork was acquired by the present
owner from Chemould.

There are very few artists whose life and art serve
as a reflection of humankind’s vulnerability, as well
as its potential to transcend the boundaries of
space and time.

A pivotal transformation occurred in the 1980s
when Broota introduced the enigmatic ‘Man’ into
his paintings—a being evolving through millennia,
engaged in a perpetual struggle to expand
consciousness and attain the zenith of existence.
This marked a profound shift in his artistic expression.

Innovating with a knife and blade, Broota developed
a distinctive scratching technique meticulously
honed over the years. This method allows him to
craft multi-layered compositions with surgical
precision, evoking a dreamlike expanse of shifting
forms. The process involves layering the canvas
with paint and then unearthing figures using a
blade or knife.