Rajendra Dhawan

Rajendra Dhawan (1936–2012) was an Indian abstract artist whose works are distinguished by subtle, harmonious transitions of colour. Born in New Delhi, he studied at the Polytechnic, later renamed the College of Art, from 1953 to 1958, and in Belgrade from 1960 to 1962. He was a founding member of the group The Unknown, active from 1960 to 1964. After teaching art in Phagwara, Punjab, Dhawan moved to Paris in 1970 to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and eventually settled there. His metaphysical approach to abstraction remained central throughout his career. His work was associated with the practices of V. S. Gaitonde and J. Swaminathan, while Dhawan maintained an individual approach to abstraction, allowing his paintings to evolve gradually over time.