(April 12, 1928- January 6, 2020)
Akbar Padamsee was born in Mumbai in 1928. He was a Padma Bhushan Indian artist, considered one of the pioneer’s modern Indian paintings. He worked in various mediums such as oils, watercolours, sculptures, printmaking, graphics, lithographs, photography and etc. Padamsee usually painted the landscapes cityscapes, figurative human drawings and paintings such as, portraits, couples and naked women with semi-abstract. His colours palette vibrant with primary colours and monochromes as well, also used the charcoals for sketches and drawings. One of his famous paintings was ‘Reclining Nude’. Padamsee’s works shows the human emotions and depth, unique perspective to see the activity included the soft and bold lines in his paintings. He was not afraid to experiment and frequently pushed the boundaries of conventional art. His innovative approach and diverse body of work have inspired many artists. Padamsee artworks are also famous for his ‘Grey Series’. He had done many works in this series, where he used different shades of grey to create art. These works often emphasize form and the play of light and shadow, stripping away colour to focus on the essence of the subject.
From the start of his career, Akbar Padamsee stayed true to his strong use of line and sharp vision. Even as a young artist, he didn’t follow the usual conventions. Though he moved away from the European styles that were popular at the time, he kept a classical balance in his work. His artistic journey includes various phases. His early portraits and landscapes had a quasi-spiritual quality. As he grew as an artist, he began to explore deeper meanings, turning his landscapes into what art historians call "inscapes." This shift marked a significant point in his career, as his paintings started to be understood on a deeper, psychological level, in addition to their formal and aesthetic aspects.
Akbar Padamsee passed away in Tamil Nadu on 6 January, 2020.
