Prabhakar Barwe (1936-1995)

This painting could benefit from a light clean. There are very minor pinhole sized flecks of paint loss in the centre and lower edges of the painting. There is a small area of hairline craquelure in the centre right above the leaf. This work is in good condition, as viewed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Prabhakar Barwe was born in Nagoan, rural Maharashtra in 1936. Barwe studied at the Sir J.J. School of Art in the early 1950s where he drew inspiration from the Expressionist movement, in particular the artwork of Paul Klee.  He was also attracted to the emerging Pop movement that challenged the traditions of earlier, more academic movements by portraying popular culture and iconography, banal objects were removed from their everyday context and featured prominently in these works, thereby elevating their status. Barwe adopted this practice and also began to paint mundane, seemingly unrelated and innocuous objects that appear to float in space. He often juxtaposed objects in newer and surprising contexts that allow the viewer to respond to them in different ways.   During his extended stay in the holy city of Benares from 1961-1965, Barwe was profoundly affected by esoteric Tantric philosophy. Based upon these philosophical insights, Barwe likened the creative process of the universe to the process of art-making, which remained central to his visual vocabulary.  From 1961 until his death in 1995, he held 12 solo exhibitions and had won a plethora of international awards including one instituted by the Japanese newspaper Yoshihari Shimbun.