Untitled

A pioneer of modernism in Indian art, Akbar Padamsee experimented with subjects and mediums all throughout his career. This Untitled painting from 1965 has all the marks of Padamsee’s brilliance. A lean figure is at the centre of the image. Slightly hunched, with hollowed-out eyes, the figure may appear frail, but also embodies the dead weight of a zombie. Richly textured, with assured strokes, the palette consists of burnt reds, dark and emerald greens, and black. Like many of Padamsee’s oils, this work is also characterised by its vivid intensity and incandescence. This painting was likely made in Paris, where Padamsee was based till 1965. Later that year, he moved on to New York on a year-long John D. Rockefeller III Fund grant.