LIBERATION/ REVELATION/ REPRESENTATION: THE ART OF BHUPEN KHAKHAR
Professor Rajeev Lochan

Curator – Professor Rajeev Lochan

Exhibition continues until 11th April, 2018
Swaraj Art Archive

D-85, Sector 2

Noida, UP, 201301


Bhupen Khakhar established himself amongst the very few Indian artists who have been celebrated both within the country, as well as internationally during his lifetime… not to forget, he lived on his own terms and also created according to his personal preferences and priorities.

‘Ideas can be hypothetical but they need to be governed by their own logic to formulate their own meaning…’ a statement which I believe is aptly applicable to this charismatic man.


I have been absolutely privileged to have closely observed Bhupen’s oeuvre objectively in the various stages of his career and life and to have experienced the evolution of his pictorial language, his persona, and his motivation behind the creations.

A renowned French writer once wrote, ‘Each one of us is similar and dissimilar to each one of us as many as there are eyes and minds that awaken every morning’… it is not one universe but many universes… the role of a creator is to provide an image to it as our observations are not mere passive records.

During the early nineties, I had the opportunity of curating my first exhibition for the CMC Limited, culling out works from the A. RamachandranCollection of popular paintings from Nathdwara andthe minor schools. I distinctly recall having used a phrase – ‘naïve, supple sensuality’ – which reminded me of Bhupen’s approach. I almost wanted to cite his name but refrained from doing so in the catalogue then, well, for obvious reasons. We are all aware how much he was inspired by this genre of popular representation.


The lack of formal art education turned out to be a boon as this provided him ample freedom and liberty to delve deeper into the self and evolve a language pertinent to his inner calling, and to my mind, that is exactly what provided him unconditional freedom and liberty of thought, content and expression.

In spite of a full-time job in Mumbai, Bhupen managed to attend evening classes at the Sir J.J. College of Arts and developed a fairly good relationship with S.B. Palsikar, one of the then most progressive teachers of the school. When he moved to Baroda, under the guidance of his peers and friends, he joined the M.S. University and studied Art Criticism at the ripe age of 38. His belief then was ‘I was interested in the expressionistic style…which had no wit and humour…now I am more involved in wit, painting and the environment around me.’ These anecdotes have been beautifully enumerated in G.M. Sheikh’s extremely lucid and evocative piece “Buddy”.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, an avid collector of mass-produced art and essentially a self-taught artist, Khakhar was led by passion, commitment and guidance by his peers which shaped his artistic journey and brought him widespread recognition.

Depicting the life around him, with an emphasis on the classes, Khakhar’s art is unpretentious and bold, with imagery embedded within these connotations of life. The naïve quality and the freedom with which he expressed was due to the fact that he was untouched by academic training. Scenes belong to everyday life, however the dramatized saturated colours within which the narratives are usually set, take the scenes beyond their mere mundane reality. The artist provides a glimpse into the finer nuances, overlooked realities and myriad idiosyncrasies of the society we inhabit.