Important Notice

"It seems to me that it is not possible to ever exhaust all possibilities of imaging the human head, each similar and yet so dissimilar. My ardent search is for a look, a gaze, an expression, a stance and a placement." - AKBAR PADAMSEE

From sculptural forms in the 1950s to melancholic, haunting portraits in the 1960s, Akbar Padamsee has explored figuration throughout his artistic career. In his portraits, he paints faces that... "It seems to me that it is not possible to ever exhaust all possibilities of imaging the human head, each similar and yet so dissimilar. My ardent search is for a look, a gaze, an expression, a stance and a placement." - AKBAR PADAMSEE

From sculptural forms in the 1950s to melancholic, haunting portraits in the 1960s, Akbar Padamsee has explored figuration throughout his artistic career. In his portraits, he paints faces that are rarely identifiable, but are nonetheless real, both in terms of the realism of their features, as well as the emotions they exhibit. "I draw my figures and forms from the world that I know intimately, but viewers also find there is a sense of detachment or alienation in them. My figures are not heroic creatures, nor are they angst-ridden, shattered beings. They exist, and on their flesh and bones is stamped the experience of living." (Artist quoted in an interview with Paromita Chakrabarti, The Indian Express, 20 September 2015, online)

Padamsee says that he often constructs portraits using his own reflection in the mirror as a starting point and as his "immediate inspiration." The present lot is rendered in the deep reds and luminescent oranges, which are critical to Padamsee's 'Metascapes.' The monochromatic palette presents an intriguing counterpoint to the downcast expression on the subject's face. In paintings such as these, Padamsee's figuration was "heavier than that of the sixties but not much different. The bodies and faces have aged a little. There are single figures and couples. The mood is one of irrevocable sadness. The heads are turned away from the aridity which life holds." (Ella Datta, Akbar Padamsee: The Spirit of Order, New Delhi: Art Heritage, 1988-1989, online) The present lot, with a pensive, possibly older subject displays this "experience of living" in Padamsee's typically aloof, yet emotion-laden portrayal.

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