Page 59 - Iconic Masters October2023

Lot No. 41
KRISHEN KHANNA
b. 1925

UNTITLED (Ed: 2/9)
40 x 59 in (101.6 x 149.8 cm)
Bronze
Signed: Bottom Right
` 10,00,000 - 15,00,000 | $ 11,765 - 17,647

Provenance: Property from an international collection.
Artwork was acquired by the present owner directly
from the artist.

This lot will be offered without a reserve.

The presented lot belongs to modernist Krishen
Khanna’s prolific Bandwallah series which has become
synonymous with the artist today. The series depicts
musicians from Indian street bands, dressed in vivid-
hued uniforms in various situations. In Indian culture,
celebratory events such as weddings are incomplete
without the loud and cheery presence of the band.
Preoccupied with social commentary, Khanna plays
the role of a sympathetic spectator and narrator while
portraying his recurring subjects and depicting the trials
and tribulations of the working class. The Bandwallahs
are representative of the incessant motion of existing in
urban spaces, while also facing the inherent class divide
existing in India today.

Known for being a masterful storyteller, Khanna first
began narrating tales of the Bandwallahs in the early
1970s upon witnessing a striking scene. While leaving
his studio in Garhi village, the artist saw one such band
crammed into the tiny streets of the village, leading a
wedding procession. The backdrop of the Garhi fort,
the raucous celebration of the groom’s family and
friends and the brightly coloured uniforms struck a
chord with the artist. Since then, he has depicted the
band members through the use of several mediums
including sculpture. The presented lot is an impressive
example of the artist translating his vision onto bronze,
depicting three seated figures in the uniform typical
of the Bandwallahs. Through the usage of bold lines
and vibrant colours, seen even in his sculptures, he
veers away from both abstraction and photorealism,
creating a distinct visual syntax.