Artepedia: Atul Dodiya

You probably know Atul from his rolling shutter works. Of course, that’s reductive and I doubt he’d be too pleased with me for immediately calling attention to his best-known works. But think of it this way: The fact that people know the kind of work he’s done at all puts him head and shoulders above most Indian artists.

That to me is one of the most important points about Atul: Popularity. As some of the panellists pointed out during the round table discussion of our inaugural column, the world of high art too often regards the popular world with condescension, disdaining popular recognition or accessibility as signs of artistic weakness. Not so with Atul. His work has always embraced popularity, bridging the worlds of fine art with popular imagery.

All said and done, Atul is, to my mind, among the finest painters of his generation. This autumn has been and will continue to be a busy season for our Mr Dodiya. When I spoke to him back in August he told me, “Too many things, Ashiesh. I don’t know how I will manage!” Well, he has, as always and quite brilliantly.

If you’re in Mumbai or Delhi any time in the next few months, you stand a good chance of seeing Atul’s work in person. This Autumn, the NGMA in Delhi will host a major survey show of Dodiya’s works, while the Vadhera Gallery will launch a major solo show around the same time. In Mumbai, Dodiya will have works on display in upcoming exhibitions at both the Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke and, in January, at Chemould as part of the gallery’s 50th Anniversary exhibition series.

Born: 1959 in Ghatkopar, Mumbai

Lives & Works: Mumbai

Education: BFA, Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai; Ecole des Beaux-Art, Paris.

Famous work: Apart from his early realist oils, known for his watercolours of Mahatma Gandhi, a series called An Artist of Non-Violence and also for his roller shutter works and paintings on decorative laminates.

Awards: Gold Medal of Maharashtra Government, 1982 and Fellowship at Sir JJ School of Art, 1982/1983, French Government Scholarship, 1991/1992, Sanskriti Award, 1995, Sotheby’s Prize, 1999, Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship, Italy, 1999, Raza Award, 2008, GQ Man of the Year Award, 2009.

If you had to describe Atul Dodiya’s work in 3 words
Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala, art historian: Playful, witty, Mumbai

Sunita Choraria, art collector:  Lambe race ka ghoda

Shireen Gandhy, Atul’s Mumbai gallerist: Art, historical, attributions