Born
in 1968, Sunil Padwal trained as a graphic designer at the Sir J.J. School of
Applied Art. Thereafter he has worked with some of India's leading publication
and advertising agencies as illustrator, visualiser and then as consulting art
director. Encouraged by Harsh Goenka, industrialist, art collector and patron-in-chief,
to take up art seriously, Padwal held his first solo exhibition in 1994. Since
then he has shown his works widely, both in India and abroad.
An artist with a difference, his creativity explores the three-dimensional,
juxtaposing wood and metal with paints. There are no distinctive lines between
the frame and the framed in his works. According to Padwal, "the painting
I create is more of an art object, as I use wood and metal along with the
paints. I have always believed in letting the creative force within find its
own expression... these creations are a tribute to the innate beauty and powerful
dignity of natural materials put to right use."
Sunil
Padwal says, ..."my paintings are a mixture of the classical and
the modern form of art and from the beginning I have been influenced by
British and American graffiti art and the Russian icons." He does
not use ancient culture nor does he allude to mythology or for that matter
delve into folk tradition. As a result Padwal's works are unfettered by
restrictive norms. And from this lack of restriction has emerged the artist
with his own unique style, his very own personal signature. "It's
a simple form of art," he says, "which needs no explanations,
no philosophy, no history, no titles..." But by using a diverse range
of materials in different permutations and combinations, he still leaves
a lasting impression on the viewer.
His
works have a single common link - the human figure, enigmatic yet familiar,
in all its complexity, its triumphs and despairs, its mysteries and doubts.
His figures are dark and brooding. The quiet desperation in his work leads
him to minimalise his figure. Yet in the uncovering of the layers that
make up each figure he reveals new facets of what he is trying to say.
Sunil
Padwal's works have a universal appeal. Although imbued with a restless
energy, his works are contrarily, completely still and display a sense
of contentment and peace. His craftmanship is exemplary and the symbolism
exciting. He is an artist who combines the cerebral with innocence of
spirit in the most sublime manner.
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