Manjit Bawa

Manjit Bawa, born in 1941 in Dhuri, British India, studied fine arts at the College of Art, New Delhi, from 1958 to 1963 under teachers including Somnath Hore and B.C. Sanyal. He credits Abani Sen with instilling his disciplined work ethic and reverence for the figurative. After working as a silkscreen printer in Britain from 1964 to 1971, Bawa returned to India and turned to mythology and Sufi poetry for inspiration. His canvases are distinguished by vibrant, traditionally Indian colours—pinks, reds, and violets—breaking from dominant grays and browns. Recurring subjects include Ranjha, Krishna with a flute, Kali, Shiva, birds, and animals. Influenced by Sufi philosophy, which taught him coexistence, Bawa considered drawing his first love, valuing minimum essentials for maximum effect.