Faces & Flowers 2 Laxman Pai

"I have an infatuation with natural beauty and I believe human beings cannot survive by abusing their natural surroundings."

Laxman Pai's whole body of work and way of life are embodied in this concept. Nature in all of her moods is shown in great detail on his paintings, and his human subjects are constantly shown in relation to their surroundings. Not that he minimises the value of people in the grand scheme of things. As he himself puts it, "You cannot be prejudiced in your expression. I am not, as you will see a lot of human presence in my paintings. They provide a verbal texture to the theme."

Pai, who was born in Goa in 1926, grew up in a region of breathtaking beauty, which stoked his desire to pursue the arts. He followed his inspiration and arrived at the Sir J. J. School of Arts in Mumbai. From there, he continued his study in the capital of art, Paris. His early years were spent in British India, where he actively participated in the fight for freedom. These formative years influenced his outlook on life and his approach to his art, resulting in a very original and individualistic style. Critical and perceptive, Pai created paintings that immediately evoke a response from the viewer. "I am my own Guru. I have taken things from others, but have made them my own," says Pai.

Pai's entire body of work is uncommented and a reflection of his impressions. "I do not waste my time in social gatherings and gossip. I listen to others, but I do not argue. By arguing, I do not want to defend myself. My reactions are based on an indirect motivation to paint my feelings. There is no physical involvement and the expression is backed up by a tremendous mental application. My works do not preach a moral. They are spiritual impressions," explains Pai.

The majority of his work is based on unplanned interactions and events that have left an impression, whether positive or negative, on his memory. In his earlier works, he made liberal use of faces in profile and frontal bodies from ancient Egyptian statues. The use of geometry decreased with time, and the forms grew more rounded and clearly defined. His style had developed by the 1960s into shapes that merged into one another on the canvas, giving them a dazzling vibrancy.

With each painting, the vivid colours that are so distinctive to his work become bolder and brighter, evoking the miniatures of early Indian art. According to him, "The bold and sensational colours set my narrative into a pitch of intensity. The other things are also given colour and significance by the degree to which they reflect and dramatise the theme in tone and texture. I have used figurative drawings in a convincing manner in their folk sensibility. The brush stokes are bold and cut across the contours of the linear figures in a pivotal motion."

Pai was a painter who disliked flat hues and has produced a collection of work that is as varied and vibrant as life itself.

The artist died on March 14, 2021.