Homi B. Patel

Acquired from Kekoo Gandhy, Gallery Chemould, Bombay, 1971

‘Paintings that are poetry in colour with particular emphasis on pure form.’

- Evening News of India, 12 March 1971 (Courtesy Surya archives)

Born in Bombay in 1928, Homi B. Patel studied at the esteemed Sir J. J. School of Art. He later worked in the studios of the Bhulabhai Desai Institute, a centre of creativity and experimentation in Bombay, famously graced by the likes of Vasudeo S. Gaitonde and Nasreen Mohamedi. Patel’s style is boldly abstract and his strong commitment to non-representation continued throughout his career. His work has been exhibited in India and abroad, notably at the Venice Biennale in 1954, and is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi and that of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai.

‘Patel’s painting may be called meditations in colour. In many cases, he has divided the canvas for treatment in two different colours and has put a solid form in between for balance.’ (ibid.)