Manu Parekh
Manu Parekh, born in 1939 in Ahmedabad, is a modernist master known for his vibrant and bold artworks. He studied drawing and painting at Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1962. Parekh's work captures the essence of everyday life through a harmonious blend of realism and abstraction, imbuing emotional intensity through his use of thick impasto brushwork and a rich colour palette.
Manu Parekh paintings oozes bright hues and shades, forming a somewhat kaleidoscopic universe. He captures the essence of flowers, painting them with the tremendous passion and precision of a master artist in his Flower series. His impasto brush works accentuate the flowers, giving them a powerful aura. Manu Parekh paints astounding flowers in different pots in myriad lights and shades, including moonlight, reflecting a multitude of elements.
He was profoundly interested in the buildings of the city of Lights, Banaras and the changing lights and colours of the sky which gets reflected in the river. His visit to the ancient and continuously transforming city of Banaras after his father's death has made him find visual materials in the relentless cycle of life. Manu Parekh's ghat paintings, inspired by his time at Banaras, reflect geometric aspects, expressionistic brush strokes, and vibrant colours. He has incorporated his love of miniature paintings in his paintings along the road.
Parekh is also an intellectual painter, often inspired by beauty, poetry, history, and fiction. Vivid colours and noticeable lines are an essential part of Manu Parekh's work and radiates the energy he tries to capture. He is strongly influenced by his surroundings, and his time in Calcutta drew him to the old masters of Indian art, which helped him develop his unique oeuvre.
He had his first solo exhibition in 1968 in Ahmedabad, and since then, he has showcased his work in various solo exhibitions, including ‘Flower Sutra’, at Nature Morte in 2025, ‘Cosmic Garden’, a collaborative exhibition with Chanakya School of Craft at the Venice Biennale, Italy (2024), 'Faith' at Art Alive Gallery in 2012, 'Banaras - Eternity Watches Time' in London at Saffronart and Berkeley Square Gallery, in 2007. His recent group shows are ‘RIYĀZ’, at Bikaner House, New Delhi, (2022), 'Talking Heads', at Art Alive Gallery in 2012, 'Portraits of Flower and Landscapes of River' at Jehangir Art Gallery and Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai, in 2003.
He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata, in 1971 & 1991 and the President's Silver Plaque from All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, New Delhi, in 1972. He is also a recipient of the National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1982. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 1992.
Moreover, his art has been featured in notable publications, including 'Manu Parekh: 60 Years of Selected Works', published by Art Alive Gallery, 'Manu Parekh: Eternity Watches Time', published by Saffronart, among others, and was even showcased in collaboration with the House of Dior in 2022 during Paris Haute Couture Week.
He lives and works in New Delhi.
