Page 26 - Present-Future-September-2023

Lot No. 15

ATUL DODIYA
b. 1959

GAU–RAKSHA MEETING
70 x 45 in (177.8 x 114.3 cm)
Watercolour on paper
1998
` 15,00,000 – 20,00,000 | $ 18,750 - 25,000

Signed & Dated: Verso
Exhibited: ‘Atul Dodiya: An Artist of
Non-Violence’ at Gallery Chemould, Mumbai,
1999.

Exhibited: ‘Atul Dodiya: An Artist of
Non-Violence’ at Herwitz Gallery, Ahmedabad,
1999.

Published: ‘Re-Imagining Bapu’ by Archer Art
Gallery, Ahmedabad.

Widely regarded as one of India’s most significant
artists, Atul Dodiya gained recognition during
the 1990s for his creations centred around
Mahatma Gandhi. Since then, he has produced an
extensive array of intricate paintings and works
in other mediums focused on Gandhi, offering a
fresh interpretation with each rendition.
The commemoration of India’s fifty years of
independence in 1997 initially sparked Dodiya’s
incorporation of Mahatma Gandhi’s imagery into
his creations. Two years later, diverging from his
usual oil-on-canvas medium, he crafted a series Cover of the publication.
of watercolour paintings for a seminal collection
titled “Artist of Non-Violence.” It drew inspiration
from various moments in Gandhi’s life, skillfully
juxtaposed with references from diverse sources.
With their minimal execution, the paintings in
the series resonate with Gandhi’s simplistic
approach to life. Belonging to the same suite
of works, the presented lot portrays the iconic
scene of Mahatma Gandhi engrossed in a book
while surrounded by visitors.

Dodiya’s recurring depictions of the Gandhian era
can also be traced back to his Gujarati heritage.
He first read, Gandhi’s seminal autobiography,
‘My Experiments with Truth,’ in his native
language as a teenager. Mahatma’s unwavering
convictions in truth, love, and non-violence left a
profound impact on the young artist.