The Urban Angels Painting

MADAN LAL Bio-graph His mind is often as blank as the canvas before the first stroke of brush stirs up some deep-rooted emotion in him that comes across in enchanting use of bright colours. Chandigarh- based painter Madan Lal art may be rooted in Sufism but global exposure over the years has made him open to experimenting, having held exhibitions of his works in Germany, England and Sweden. “I have no focal point in my paintings and my creations reflect what I feel at that moment, the complexities of human relationships and life. When I start painting, I start with a blank canvas. I first envision an abstract concept in my mind, and as I add paint to the canvas, a more concrete form starts appearing. That is how I would trace my progression in art,” he explains. Chandigarh city has had a deep influence on Lal ever since he moved here in 1982 to study at the prestigious Government College of Art. The recognition he got at exhibitions in the early days gave him the encouragement to refine his craft with time. His paintings moved from touching on abstract concepts like music towards a relatively tangible topic in urban musing with love for the first planned city of the country somewhere at the core of it. “Indian art is very distinct from other cultures. Indian artists are still rooted in tradition, which comes across in the colours, symbols and forms that we use,” he asserts. Sufism is well and alive in his works too. “I hail from Punjab, and Sufism is seeped into our literature, our culture,” Lal explains. “Sufism is not limited to any religion; it is a way of life. Right from childhood, it is inculcated into our creative outcomes.” Hailing from the small town of Talwandi Bhai Distt. Ferozepur in Punjab, Lal has taken his work across the country and the Punjabi spiritualism tends to come across every time. The painter explains “Sufism is well and alive in my works. I hail from Punjab, and Sufism is seeped into our literature, our culture, Sufism is not limited to any religion; it is a way of life. Right from childhood, it is inculcated into our creative outcomes.” The artist’s trademark bright colours where the vivid peacock blues, grassy greens, flaming orange, yellow, pinks and reds come together beautifully as if in a piece of music and make his works stand apart. Using acrylics and water-drawings, his paintings abound with lush richness in form, style and spirit and his figures, despite the long journey ahead, do not give way to grief.