Untitled

Shanti Dave’s works are often likened to sculptures in relief for their monumentality. Dave created some of these important, majestic, muralesque works in the year 1974, one of which was this Untitled painting. It is remarkable for its achievement of both scale and depth. One of the earliest Indian artists to experiment successfully with beeswax and encaustic, his paintings are reminiscent of lost civilisations that appear layer upon layer like a palimpsest. Marked by a bright palette and busy with details including a lost script, this work reminds Dave ‘of my youth, when I painted; of my childhood, when I dreamt’. Another painting from this series won an award at the International Triennale held in New Delhi.