A man of contradictions

The late Francis Newton Souza wore many badges of honour. He was not only one of the founding members of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group, who were the game changers of Indian art but also the father of modernism in the country. To celebrate his immense contribution, a solo exhibition of his works are on display at Akara Art Gallery. Titled Luminous Solitude, it showcases 11 of his hitherto unseen creations that he had created between the 1960s and 1990s. This is the second of the 10 exhibitions that the Colaba-based art gallery is organising to commemorate its completion of a decade.

Luminous Solitude not only depicts Souza’s tryst with melancholiness and irony but also his scathing cynical look at the society at large and those who held positions of authority and power. His works are ambivalent as they evoke a myriad of emotions among viewers. They can be full of darkness, melancholy and aggression but also eroticism, sensuality and humour. Art dealer, consultant and founder of Akara Art Gallery Puneet Shah reveals what went behind curating this exhibition.

How do you perceive FN Souza’s works?

They are eclectic. His creations are products of seemingly numerous contradictions. Souza moved from mediums to metaphors and created a significant body of work. I first came across his paintings in 2007 while I was working at Bodhi Art Gallery. For this show, we have sourced his artworks from private collections as well as those that we had acquired in the past.

He has made a tremendous contribution to the Indian as well as international art scene. What are your views about it?

Post independence, Souza was one of the first painters who got international recognition as he created an exceptional impulsive body of work. When the country was struggling to start afresh, he and his contemporaries gave a new voice to Indian Art. Souza left behind him a legacy of art that was probably much ahead of its time.

How would you describe his style of painting?

It’s dark and distorted on the outside, but emotive and thought-provoking on the inside. 

Which are your favourite works in this exhibition and why?

Each work has its own independent importance in terms of the subjects the artist painted. The Self Portrait from 1985 created by Souza for his 60th birthday is a rare self-portrait in oil. The Still Life from 1965 is rendered with thick black paint with hints of blue and white highlighting the impasto and the green fruits showing signs of Souza moving on from his black-on-black works. The Foreman from 1961 is another of my favourites.

What does the title Luminous Solitude imply?

Souza’s works are extremely personal and in this artistic journey, he has been fighting with his own dilemmas or struggling with his personal life. Luminous Solitude highlights this self-journey.