Artist Statement
I am a citizen of the world and I live at home. Born in India I moved to the UK when I was quite young. I took up art late in life. Having had no formal art education, I have learned by observing, experimenting and "doing it anyway". I now work feverishly to make up for lost ground.
As an artist the language I speak is always the simplest and most direct. I take recollection of a particular social encounter, landscape, or effect of the weather as a starting point. Having psyched myself emotionally and physically to paint I pick up the brush and work fast using bold strokes. I try to give my paintings strong physical character using vibrant colours and shapes. After all vibrant colours and geometric shapes were the respective swords with which Picasso and Matisse cut free from the shackles of 19th Century art. To me each painting or sculpture is a free-for-all encounter in which I am both an observer and an active participant.
A life long student, I feel if I ever move away from a learning mode - that will be the end.
Quote from an admirer:
Anil draws his inspiration from Indian contemporary art, as well as the European artistic tradition. He is certainly bold and brilliant. The range and scale of his output are large. He is constantly experimenting with new ideas using a variety of mediums. His love for artists, such as Jasper John, Hussain, Matisse, Kandisnky and FN Souza is quite evident. He stretches the boundaries that separate the figurative from the abstract as colour and geometric drawings interact with the vision..