Neeraj Bakshi Profile   |    Summary Neeraj Bakshi is an artist who has discovered, developed and honed his talent in a comparatively short career, determining his strengths and forte through experimentation and a great deal of practice. 31-year-old Bakshi was born in the beautiful valley town of Anantnag in Kashmir, and only naturally his first paintings were landscapes of his own surroundings that offered so much inspiration to a fertile imagination. But whilst Bakshi was still... Read More Neeraj Bakshi is an artist who has discovered, developed and honed his talent in a comparatively short career, determining his strengths and forte through experimentation and a great deal of practice. 31-year-old Bakshi was born in the beautiful valley town of Anantnag in Kashmir, and only naturally his first paintings were landscapes of his own surroundings that offered so much inspiration to a fertile imagination. But whilst Bakshi was still studying in the Kashmir University for his BFA in Painting, times changed for the worse, and terrorism invaded the valley full force. This changed Bakshi as a person and an artist, shifting the focus of his paintings from peaceful landscapes to ghastly descriptions of suffering and pain. The canvases were harsh, stark and devoid of any color. But Bakshi didn`t confine himself to one ideology like so many other artists have. He still experimented with theme and medium, and although he worked mainly with oils, he painted a few watercolor sketches. When some senior artists saw these sketches, they convinced Bakshi that this was his real calling. He says, "I am glad that senior artists encouraged me to take up watercolors because of which I have been able to make a mark. I used to do oils earlier but when some seniors saw my experimental work in watercolors, they convinced me that it was my strength. It is a difficult medium since it is a stroke-art and probably that is the reason why it is often called the crown of painting." A few years ago Bakshi traveled to Africa, and toured the forests in the east of the continent. His entire perspective changed, and he became happier. This was reflected in his work, and the watercolors he had now adopted became colorful once again. His latest exhibitions show Bakshi`s new concern with humans and the surroundings they share. His watercolors are fresh and have a transparence that makes them look like they radiate light. His figures mirror a definite Egyptian influence, and he now wants to tour that country and soak in its rich artistic and architectural heritage. Reviewing a show he held in New Delhi, art critic Suneet Chopra says, "Bakshi puts a number of images that are associated with ritual iconography, like the owl and snake or the bull, but they are put together in the context of the everyday life of today. He appears to be highlighting issues like competition at work, yuppie concerns with social climbing and sex as a consumerist concern. His Lakshmi looks like a fashion model or cabaret artiste, while there is a towering figure of Shiva with telephones at his feet. Bakshi buttresses this with a sensitive balance of line and color, which gives his work the ambience of Ganesh Pyne. But his visual treatment, imagery and color sense are very different. In fact, he shares a similar approach to the visual image with Pyne, but expresses it in his own way. That is what draws lovers of Pyne`s works to his art." Since Bakshi graduated in 1992, he has been exhibiting his work on a regular basis, and has received several honours and awards for it. Amongst others, he received the INLAKS Foundation Grant and the Creative Fund Grant from Luxembourg. The HRD Ministry of the Indian Government awarded him the outstanding artist fellowship as well. Neeraj Bakshi has created a fresh and original path for himself, and because of his strong inclination to travel and learn, we can be sure he will never stray from it, only forge ahead, inventing and pioneering as always. Read Less    Read More Read Less Read Less
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