Akbar Padamsee

Though often described as a modernist, Akbar Padamsee persistently resisted easy categorization. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly seven decades, he remained fiercely original, intellectually driven, and endlessly experimental. Born in Mumbai on April 12, 1928, Padamsee was drawn from an early age to the visual world — from vibrant depictions of Hindu deities with surreal hues and multiple arms to solemn Christian imagery that hung in his school classrooms. A precocious, introspective child, he immersed himself in books and drawing, developing a lifelong habit of self-directed exploration.

Padamsee’s artistic aspirations took shape during his time at Sir J.J. School of Art, where he enrolled in 1951. By the time he graduated, he was determined to become a painter — a decision that bewildered his family, who had hoped he would join the family’s flourishing business. It was the spiritual head of the Khoja Muslim community, the Aga Khan, who intervened at a pivotal moment. Endorsing Padamsee’s decision, he not only gave his blessing but also encouraged him to pursue further studies in Paris — a gesture that would profoundly shape the artist’s life and practice.

In Paris, Padamsee experienced a period of intense introspection and learning. For an entire year, he neither painted nor enrolled in formal study, choosing instead to absorb the art world around him. He explored museums, devoured books in libraries, and frequented galleries — immersing himself fully in the intellectual and aesthetic currents of the time. Living in a small garret on Boulevard Montparnasse, he embraced solitude and was known by his neighbors as the “Monsieur of the tower.” Fiercely private, he later recalled telling a neighbor who asked why he never exchanged greetings, “You don’t exist for me.”

This period of quiet incubation bore fruit when Padamsee finally returned to painting. His first major breakthrough came when he entered a prestigious competition organized by Journal d’Art, where his work — vibrant with energy and intellectual rigor — won third prize. Notably, the other competitors were all established and older artists. The award catapulted him into the Parisian art scene. “All of a sudden,” he said, “many doors opened to me, and everyone in Paris knew my name — the art dealers, the press.”

Throughout his prolific career, Padamsee continued to explore a wide range of mediums — painting, photography, sculpture, film, and digital works — always guided by a deep engagement with the formal and conceptual questions of art. He was drawn to the "science of art," fascinated by perception, structure, and form. His paintings, whether landscapes, figures, or metascapes, reveal a constant push toward abstraction, equilibrium, and inner clarity.

He held numerous solo exhibitions, including major shows in Mumbai (from 1972 to 2010), Paris (2008), New York and Palo Alto (2006–07). Retrospectives of his work were mounted in Mumbai (2004) and both New Delhi and Mumbai (1980). His work was also featured in group exhibitions across the world, including Dubai (2013), New Delhi (2012), New York and London (2010–11), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2009), and the Nehru Centre, London (2005).

Akbar Padamsee passed away on January 6, 2020, in Tamil Nadu, at the age of 91. To the very end, he remained a seeker — questioning, creating, and redefining what it meant to be an artist.