Page 51 - Iconic Masters October2023

Lot No. 34
MANJIT BAWA
1941-2008

UNTITLED
41 x 27.8 in (104.1 x 70.6 cm)
Mixed media on paper
1994
Signed & Dated: Bottom Right (by both artists)

` 10,00,000 - 15,00,000 | $ 11,765 - 17,647

(This work was executed in collaboration with
Parvaneh Etemadi.)

Provenance: Property from an international collection.

Manjit Bawa, born in Dhuri, Punjab in 1941, was one of
the nation’s most revered modernists. He first studied
Fine Art at the College of Art in New Delhi and went on
to join the London School of Printing to study serigraphy.
He worked as a printmaker in London from 1967 to 1971,
which was also the period when he held his first solo
shows in London and Spain. He then proceeded to join
the printmaking department in Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
at the behest of fellow artist Jagdish Swaminathan. His
work as a serigrapher and printmaker also inspired the
paintings to come.

His global recognition stemmed from his exceptional
mastery of colour and the creation of ethereal, floating
forms. Drawing inspiration from mythology, Rajput
miniature paintings, music, and literature, he forged a
unique visual language that was entirely his own. He
believed that while India was always transforming,
at its core it remained unchanged, as reflected in his
paintings. His childhood memories including those
of the cows and goats seen in metropolises and the
shepherd he encountered in Himachal Pradesh, all
became subjects of his vibrant works. While his works
were primarily figurative, the subjects occupied little
space as compared to the large swathes of unusual
colours surrounding them. This imbued the works with
a zen-like element.

Rejecting the stylistic norms of Cubism and artist Paul
Klee, he created his unique visual syntax through the
usage of chiaroscuro, simplistic forms and graduating
colours that were inherently Indian. Among the several
awards he received for his impressive works, the
most prominent ones include being awarded at the
first Bharat Bhavan Biennale in Bhopal in 1986 and the
National Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1980.