Indian artist, Akbar Padamsee (1928 – 2020) was a true pioneer of Modern Art and a first-generation postcolonial artist and was a part of the Progressive Artists’ Group. Padamsee’s first solo show in India was held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1954.

His early portraits in varied mediums demonstrate a quasi-spiritual style of working. His oils have been characterised by a deep bold intensity and luminescence while his drawings, by contrast, a calmness. Padamsee’s portraits and nudes are of grisaille, sepia and black tones that were iterations of obscure.

Padamsee’ works at Art & Soul were curated into the archival collection of the gallery to demonstrate a stance of sublime elements, the use of space and the application of oil and ink to create a melange. These works were directly acquired from the artist to build a suite of watercolours and drawings that encompass his practice in medium and form, with a clear representative quality of the aesthetic.