Sudhir Patwardhan

The social fabric of the city of Mumbai and the lives of its inhabitants have been a continuing source of inspiration for Sudhir Patwardhan, and are deeply reflected in his art. The human figure performing the everyday chores situated in the larger landscape is central to his work.  A monograph on his work titled The Complicit Observer – written by Ranjit Hoskote – was published in 2004, followed by another book by the author on Patwardhan’s drawings in 2007, titled The Crafting of Reality.

Patwardhan graduated in medicine from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, in 1972, and practised as a radiologist in Thane from 1975 to 2005. A full retrospective of Patwardhan’s work, ‘Walking Through Soul City’, curated by Nancy Adajania, was held at the National Gallery of  Modern Art, Mumbai, in 2019–2020 and a collection of his works from 1970 to 2018 were exhibited in Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal in 2018. Patwardhan has held more than fifteen solo exhibitions, including Vadehra Art Gallery, Delhi (2017); Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (2017); Gallerie 88, Kolkata (2016); the Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai (2012); and Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2011), to name a few. Patwardhan’s paintings are included in many prominent public and private collections, including the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi; National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and Mumbai; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; Roopankar Museum, Bhopal; Jehangir Nicholson Collection, Mumbai; Punjab University Museum, Chandigarh; Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal; Gallery of Contemporary Art, Kochi; Peabody Essex Museum, USA; and the Herwitz Family Collection, USA. The artist lives and works in Thane, near Mumbai, India.