Untitled

In the galaxy of Indian abstractionists who worked abroad, Paris-based Rajendra Dhawan was the quietest. His works, though, spoke for him, albeit in tandem with his unobtrusive personality. As evident in this Untitled oil, Dhawan’s paintings have a sense of calm with subtle and delicate use of paint and the complete absence of figuration. The artist uses a restricted palette of muted browns and greys, orchestrating just a few colours in a harmonious arrangement to generate the effect he desires. Dominating the painting is a mound of grey in different gradations, forming a striking contrast to the other shades, which seem to seamlessly meld into each other.