Important Notice

Manjit Bawa is a master of simplified figuration and magical realism. Breaking down the subjects of his paintings to the bare essentials of form and character, the artist's emblematic mode of representation, devoid of narrative, negotiates the tentative boundaries separating reality from the surreal. Bringing life to these pared down human and animal forms are the artist's well-honed chiaroscuro and the subtle tonal contrasts he is so well known... Manjit Bawa is a master of simplified figuration and magical realism. Breaking down the subjects of his paintings to the bare essentials of form and character, the artist's emblematic mode of representation, devoid of narrative, negotiates the tentative boundaries separating reality from the surreal. Bringing life to these pared down human and animal forms are the artist's well-honed chiaroscuro and the subtle tonal contrasts he is so well known for. Suggesting depth and contour without the use of line or texture, the lyrical worlds that Bawa creates on canvas never fail to draw the viewer into their depths. The saturated fields of vibrant hues, within which his characters appear to float, offer the surface of his canvases a glazed feel, like porcelain, simultaneously impermeable and fragile.

"Looking at the totality of Manjit's work, one moves through a clearly and consciously marked out process of evolution and choices. Animal and human forms, their organicity, limbs, mysterious natural growths without ambient details – these are some of the features that have appeared as constant markers in his painterly propositions and engagements throughout" (Madan Gopal Singh, "The Oeuvre: A First Note", Bhav Bhaav Bhavya – Frames of Eternity, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, Impresario, Kolkata, and Gallery Espace, New Delhi, exhibition catalogue, 1999, p. 25).

The present lot, a large canvas, is an ideal example of Bawa's minimalist surrealism and rich sense of colour. The lioness and cub in this painting seem to share the relationship of a protective mother and her timid, obedient child. While the cub looks taken aback by what appears to be its mother's attacking posture, the mother, whose gaze focuses on a space beyond her offspring, is perhaps on the defensive, addressing a threat that her child may not have seen or understood. Here, the animal subjects in Bawa's frame emphasize the relationship between parent and child, one of unspoken communication that is very close to the artist's heart. The emerald green background lightens the mood of the piece, while the artist's brilliant sense of scale gives the viewer a sense of space allowing room to speculate several possibilities.

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