Important Notice

As he established his identity as a painter, Akbar Padamsee also dabbled in sculpture, photography, digital art and film making. His interest in world art, his passion for learning, and his extensive study of Sanskrit have all strongly influenced his diverse art practice, which over the years has undergone tremendous changes, both formatively and intellectually.

Padamsee’s metascapes, which he began to paint in the 1970s, are... As he established his identity as a painter, Akbar Padamsee also dabbled in sculpture, photography, digital art and film making. His interest in world art, his passion for learning, and his extensive study of Sanskrit have all strongly influenced his diverse art practice, which over the years has undergone tremendous changes, both formatively and intellectually.

Padamsee’s metascapes, which he began to paint in the 1970s, are explorations that stretch the boundaries of not just the canvas, but also of the metaphysical entities of time and space. Conceived as landscapes, but not quite so, these mythical scenes exist in a parallel universe where Padamsee’s suggestive palette seems to be the sole link to meaning and emotion. The blistering red of the earth, the browns and ocher of the mountains, and the deep blue of the sky suggest their nature as elements of a timeless, history-less landscape which is devoid of not just figuration, but of any human touch at all.

The present composition, dominated by shades of red and orange, conjures up images of paved pathways and scorched fields. The convergence of this fiery checkerboard, which seems to lead the viewer out of the confines of the frame and beyond the painted surface, only serves to further emphasize the disaffectedness of the world in which this landscape exists. Dark mountains in the distance give perspective to the inky patch of blue sky at the upper edge.

Executed in thick impasto with a palette knife, Padamsee’s metascapes are at once peaceful yet eerily unnerving, evoking a strange sense of conflict in the viewer. Even as they alienate, these large canvases draw the viewer in, challenging them to recognize and appreciate Padamsee’s philosophical, intellectual and artistic intent.

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