AVINASH CHANDRA (1931-1991)

“In 1958, my work began to dissatisfy me, eventually coming to a complete standstill for many frustrating months, eight in fact. I was stale; landscapes, copying scenery, painting from life – all failed to satisfy my need for expression and became, instead, mechanical. I began then, carefully, to let lines and shapes suggest themselves. Those effects might be described as an attempt at a crystallization of forms that are significant and symbolic, beginning at pre-history and continuing on right through our times.” (Artist statement, Humanscapes, Avinash Chandra: A Retrospective, exhibition catalogue, New Delhi, 2015, p. 30)