Honored by Artists

Beginning a few months after Bhupen’s death in August 2003 and continuing through the tenth anniversary of his passing other artists, gallerists, and curators have honored with him with group shows, individual paintings and prints, lectures and essays. In India I think Tao Gallery was the first formal show marking the first anniversary of his death, “A Tribute to Bhupen Khakhar” (8 August to 28 August 2004). The following year ( 29 August to 5 September), Gallery Chemould put on “Bhupen Among Friends.” Chemould had another show, “Aesthetic Bind: subject of Death,” (3 September to 3 October 2013) curated by India’s most important art critic, Geeta Kapur, who promoted and encouraged Bhupen early on and throughout his career. Gujarati intellectuals met 8 August 2013 in Ahmedabad to celebrate Bhupen’s visual art and writing. Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke organized “Touched by Bhupen” (29 November 2013 – 6 January 2014).

My collection contains only a tiny sample from these shows and from individual initiatives. It includes works by Bhupen’s friends and colleagues: Gulammohammed Sheikh, Vivan Sundaram, Nilima Sheikh, Madhvi Parekh, and the younger Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, and Ram Rahman. (Nalini Malani is missing from my collection, but her friendship with Bhupen and her own style are reflected in Bhupen’s painting, “Lost Souls,” my first purchase in 1994.) Art from his wider circle of associates and admirers include works by Yusuf Arakkal, Pradeep R. Dalal, and Francesco Clemente.

In 2016 in connection with the Tate Modern retrospective there were two gallery shows: Sarjan Gallery in Vadodara, India had “Remembering Bhupen” with eight artists and Grosvenor Vadehra in London put on “Bhupen Khakhar and His Contemporaries India 1960 – 2016” with a dozen artists.

Sajal Sarkar, "Untold Stories," Graphite and water color, 2018

One room of the "Touched by Bhupen" show at Mirchandani-Steinruke Gallery, Mumbai, 2013 with works by Anju Dodiya, Sudhir Padwardan, and Gulammohammed Sheikh

Anju Dodiya, "Pale Mourner," water color on paper, 2004, 75.5 x 56 cms Anju sees this work as a tribute to Bhupen. He supplied her with the water colors and suggested she try them.

Francesco Clemente, "Calm Fury, After Bhupen Khakhar," 2013, pigment print, 45.5 x 34 cms. Shown in "Touched by Bhupen," Mirchandani-Steinruck Gallery, 2013.

Atul Dodiya, no date, REPRODUCTION, in the form of a coaster sold by Vadehra bookshop in Delhi, 9.5 x 8.5 cms.

Yusuf Arakkal, Untitled, ["Bhupen, we miss you,"] oil on canvas, 2004, 120.6 x 120.6 cms. This work was shown at Tao Gallery's tribute to Bhupen in 2004.

Gulammohammed Sheikh, "Remembering Bhupen," 2004,digital collage/inkjet print, 454.7 x 45.7 cms

Madhvi Parekh, "Our Friend Bhupen," acrylic on paper, 2014, 48 x 52 cms.

Manu and Madhvi Parekh with Madhvi's portraits of Bhupen, "Our Friend Bhupen," acrylic on paper, September 2014. They were close friends of Bhupen, and he often stayed with them in Delhi.

Nilima Sheikh, "Learning Drawing 8 - Bhupen in Place of Tiger and Stag," 2005, 22.8 x 17.8 cms

Nilima Sheikh, "ICU," 2013, tempera on Sangaeri paper, 25.5 x 36 cms

Vivan Sundaram, "Bad Drawings for Dost -Seva", 2004 , pencil, tracing paper, Fabriano drawing paper and thread, 29 x 99.7 cms

Ram Rahman, "Akhara Doorway," Delhi, silver gelatin print, 32 x 41 cms 1980s, printed for me by Ram Rahman, 2014. In a different format this photograph was shown in "Touched by Bhupen" Mirchandani-Steinrucke Gallery commemorative show, Mumbai, 2013.

Pradeep Dalal, "Kolkata Boys,"digital, 2009, 20.6 x 27 cms

Timothy Hyman, (study for large painting of Bhupen and friends called ":Around Bhupen"), 2008, acrylic on board, 46 x 66 cm. Bhupen looks down from heaven at his friends, Timothy Hyman, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Vivan Sundaram, Geeta Kapur, Meera Mukherjee, Sudhir Patwardan, Amit Ambalal, Nilima Sheikh, Atul Dodiya.

Invitation to show honoring Bhupen at the Sarjan Art Gallery (Hitesh Rana) in Baroda, August 2015. Mr. Rana and others have requested that a road leading to Bhupen's house be named after him. The mixed-media painting by Bhupen was gifted to his friend, Jeram Patel.

Grosvenor-Vadehra-evite