Prafulla Mohanti

Prafulla Mohanti was raised in the village of Nanpur in Odisha, a place he still returns to every year. Though Mohanti moved to London after graduating with a degree in architecture from the Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai, his work is inextricably linked to his upbringring: “My painting is rooted in my village culture, which is influenced by yoga and tantra.” (M. Irwin, ‘Prafulla Mohanti’, Ocula, 2020) Rural Indian life and the symbols associated with it, particularly his mother’s bindi, permeate Mohanti’s visual and literary works. An internationally recognized writer about the Indian village, it is clear that though he was born in the village, the village is born in him.

Mohanti captures spirituality in vivid color, a combination of pigment and precise forms in which no two paintings are alike. His works evoke the calmness that he feels while painting: “As I worked with colours and forms on large surfaces I felt free and relaxed.” (P. Mohanti, “Artist as a Writer,” Indian Literature Magazine, 1985, p. 115) The present works are a four-fold example of the mastery Mohanti has achieved over decades of profound introspection and dedication to village life. The concentric circles across all of these works pulse like the beating heart of India, portrayed by one of her most devout disciples.