Nigel Prabhavalkar

Oil paint is a visceral commodity. I love the intervention of paint onto canvas. Direct action using a brush or fluid direction using gravity or turpentine. My work is informed by my past as a stage designer; there are obvious visual themes – I love suggesting perspective, light and framing motifs, but in an abstract context. I use these motifs to try to create a figurative portrait of a feeling, memory or emotion.
My interest in performance also directs the rhythms of paint application. I take great pleasure from standing in front of a canvas and observing the map or landscape created by energetic ‘shadows’ that record the brushstrokes and paint application. These combine as a record of the ‘performance’ of the works’ creation and capture a moment in the picture’s history. I may return to the work and add more layers or perspectives so the works can mature over time.

Ba(hons) Central St Martins, London