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Fantastic imagery Nagji Patel at work

In his first solo exhibition since 1996, Nagji Patel proves how he can reduce figures to their minimal but can also extend imageries to the fantastic. Mounted at Gallery Espace in New Delhi’s New Friends Colony till February 8, “The Enshrined Object” is a display of his most recent sculptures and drawings. Born in 1937, Patel is considered one of the most accomplished sculptors of India, who works with marble, sandstone, granite and wood.

If his sculptures are influenced by the traditional technique of stone carving, his drawings are inspired by the art of children. With patience and a warm smile he says, “My approach to drawing and sculpting are totally separate.”

He came to sculpture through his mother and honed his skill at the M.S. University of Baroda. He took to drawing, however, after teaching art to small children (between 5 to 10 years) . “I saw how they saw a tree or a bird,” he explains, “then I started to do my own drawings.” While the origins might be different, his paintings and sculptures share a common “playfulness”. “I like to play with my imagery,” he reveals.

This ‘play’ results in the dream-like effect of his travel drawings. The hill station of Pachmarhi becomes a collage of colours and textures. Human thoughts take the form of birds and motifs. Influenced by Mexican folk art, after a trip to Mexico, animals morph into fantastical creatures. Monkeys don hats and become resplendent in bright colours. A single drawing on paper captures the rugged landscape of Iraq. He says of his wanderings, “I like to pick up the texture and feel of a place. It’s my way of taking photographs.” Interestingly, his sculptural attitude also comes into his drawings. The chisel-on-stone effect is replicated on paper through the use of multiple ink flecks.

He explains how his work has evolved with time. When working in the 1960s – 1970s, he tried to sculpt the animal forms he had grown up with in his village in Gujarat. He made rabbits and monkeys. “I realised people like to see my work, but then they wish to touch it. That playfulness and tactile feeling were important to my work.” But he elaborates that as he became more aware as a sculptor, he removed the recognition of things. “I removed the figurative and kept the semi-figurative,” he says.

This interest with the semi-figurative he shares with renowned Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Patel is inspired by how Brancusi expresses the inner spirit of things and his attention to detail. “I am interested in the inner spirit and also like to finish my work well,” he says. The organic is central to Patel’s work. If his material is of the earth, so is his studio. He works under trees. And prefers to even exhibit outdoors. His public sculptures “The Banyan Tree” and “Abacus” are famous in Vadodara. He has also made public sculptures in Japan, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. He explains his preference. “I always feel that natural material is better suited for nature. When it’s displayed inside, it’s like a bird in a cage. I want my work to be enjoyed by all.”

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