Important Notice

"I am a believer in Sufism and believe in peaceful co-existence" (as quoted in Manjit Bawa, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, and Gallery Maya, London, exhibition catalogue, 2005, unpaginated).

In this untitled portrait, influenced by Bawa's Sufi leanings, the artist's willing detachment from the world is reflected in the dreamy expression of the lone subject. His eyes seem to gaze into the distance, focusing on nothing in particular, and his... "I am a believer in Sufism and believe in peaceful co-existence" (as quoted in Manjit Bawa, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, and Gallery Maya, London, exhibition catalogue, 2005, unpaginated).

In this untitled portrait, influenced by Bawa's Sufi leanings, the artist's willing detachment from the world is reflected in the dreamy expression of the lone subject. His eyes seem to gaze into the distance, focusing on nothing in particular, and his porcelain-white skin enhances the delicacy and fluidity of the artist's figuration. The flat, completely black background offers the illusion of weightlessness, making the subject look as if he is afloat. His arms folded across his chest hold a lavender shawl in place, almost as if he's unconsciously shielding himself from a breeze as he leans upon an invisible windowsill lost in his contemplation of the world.

Reflecting on his creative process, Bawa explains that it is similar to the state of isolation in one's own thoughts that he has portrayed in the present lot. "I have learnt the art of detachment. When I paint, I work in complete isolation and the world ceases to exist then. In my own life too there have been times so painful that I would have gone under had I not withdrawn to my inner space. When I paint, the canvas becomes the focal point and I hate to be distracted. It is like I am in dialogue with the work, struggling to make it come alive" (Ibid.).

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