Amol Palekar explores abstraction and emotions through his latest work at this exhibition in Mumbai

Actor-artist Amol Palekar showcases abstract oil paintings at a solo exhibition in Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery

Not many are aware that before wearing the hats of an actor, producer and director, Amol Palekar had been an artist who exhibited his works at many solo shows. The professional painter who is a graduate of the JJ School of Art, Mumbai, is showcasing his recent work of abstract oil paintings titled …through the radiance at the city’s Jehangir Art Gallery.

“The ellipsis in the title, …through the radiance probably denotes the long dark patch we all have left behind us,” says Amol. “As a creator, I find abstraction fascinating. I was never attracted to the realistic fidelity in visual arts. There is no identified story, no figures, no landscapes and no representations. Yet there is an authorial attempt to evoke an emotional response. Any abstract painting will mobilise/interact with the observer’s gaze as long as they are open to absorb its elements,” he explains about his series of 50 paintings.

The current artworks were created during the pandemic when Amol was spending most of the time in his art studio. The artist in him felt that there was a constant dialogue with the blank canvas that used to challenge his imagination and sensibilities. He felt he was being observed. “My artistic abilities and limitations were being assessed by the canvas. The resultant explosion of vibrant colour configurations is the source of this title. In a way, it symbolises our triumph over the difficult times which we faced cumulatively.”

After graduating in 1965, Amol had his first solo exhibition in 1967 at the Taj Art Gallery, and he continued to paint and hold shows till 1982. During those initial days as an artist, he was influenced by western artists like Paul Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, and Piet Mondrian, “I was immensely attracted to Amedeo Clemente Modigliani’s figurative abstraction. René Magritte questioned the boundaries between reality and representation. Vasudeo S Gaitonde was yet another fixation. I used to fill every inch of my canvas with colours. Maybe that was out of insecurity, I feel in hindsight. When I started acting, I realised the importance of holding the silence without doing anything. Similarly, over the years, I realised the beauty of minimalism. That minimalist approach was carried forward by me in this inning of paintings too,” elaborates Amol.

Working in theatre and films has shaped him into a different person and also added multiple layers and elements to his paintings. “I am a mixture of all these art forms. I am a trained painter who never received any formal training either in acting or in film-making. I was willing to dabble in all the areas of performing as well as visual arts. The poetry I like, the aalap I cherish, the cumulative pain that I experience, the line in a play or a script I learn by heart… all comes out in some form or the other on my canvas,” says Amol.

Talking about the visual arts scenario in India, Amol says he feels very disappointed to feel the aesthetic apathy of Indians. “A new homeowner will never think of buying an original art piece for the walls; the builders will never think of hanging original paintings in the common corridors; beautification of crossroads ends in erecting substandard statues of politicians; no one is ashamed to see the vulgar hoardings; corporate offices or hotels hang run-of-the-mill frames of popular art. I was delighted to see artistic presentations at a few airports; but most public places are sans art. Most metro stations in Moscow are museums. We are creating so many public spaces with the huge web of metros, why can we not design spaces for young local artists?” asks Amol.

...through the radiance is ongoing at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, till November 20, from 11am to 7pm