MANJIT BAWA Born in Dhurie, Punjab, Manjit Bawa(1941-2008) studied at the College of Art and did his diploma at the London School of Printing. He was acknowledged as one of the most significantartists of his time and the recepient of prestigious awards. Much sought after by collectors and museums worldwide, his works are in important collections in the country and abroad. Bawa held succesful exhibitions of his work across the world throughout his artistic career. A man of variedinterests, Manjit Bawa was passionate about travelling, music, cinema and photography.
The figures, dominating his canvas were luminous and enigmatic against the backdrop of stark red, yellow, green, or indigo; those of gravity-defying lions, bulls, and birds, brooding, bearded men and beautiful women who wore their hair in impossibly elaborate swirls and bouffants. Most of the time, humans and animals seemed to be engaged in a dialogue that harked back to another era of compassion and empathy, to another world where it was possible to coexist without fear or trepidation. He used to quote Tarkovsky’s words: “We cannot comprehend the totality of the universe but the poetic image is able to express that totality.”
Having witnessed the horrors of Partition and the violent carnage during the Sikh Riots, Manjit Bawa had known firsthand how viciously man could hurt man. Yet in his art, in that radiant painterly realm, there was primarily a celebration of life, a space that called for a willing suspension of disbelief. Dream-like figures stood transfixed there—the lion gently nudging the playful goat, the shepherd playing his flute to an attentive herd of cattle, a valiant goddess poised astride a lion. In that incandescent space, there was no room for bitterness and cynicism.
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Esta historia es de la edición July - August 2016 de Creative Image.
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