Urban Phulkari, acrylic on canvas, 54 x 54 inch , 2013

Madan Lal brings to us questioning visages of pursed lipped women and quizzing, staring eyed, regal parrots. He effuses his canvases with a selection of iridescent colours of India from forest greens to Rajasthani pinks and the ever blues of sky and mood. Amidst Madan Lal’s carefully crafted imagery, we see the paraphernalia of modernity. We notice symbolic arrows and alphabetic texts. We espy the manufactured fusing with nature, and perkily prominent elements of haunting home domesticity. For our delight, there is a broad spectrum of kaleidoscope meaning in these essentially evocative paintings. Madan Lal encourages our eyes to note images of Brahma’s bull, and slender conversational storks. As we gaze in awe, we wonder. Are we the giver or receiver of the maiden’s loving blissful gaze, the parrot questioner or the gently questioned? We are drawn in. We succumb to Madan Lal’s bewitchment, to his remarkable reflections of Indian modernity. In our balmy revery we realise that Madan Lal provides us with more conundrums than answers – blank speech balloons, muted phonograms. But then, why should we expect answers when life, chasing irrevocably through time, continually changes and we change with it. Painting captures moments, but revels a history. If we are lucky, paintings such as Madan Lal’s can reflect us back to ourselves in new and exciting ways.

Title of work Urban Phulkari

Size of work ( either cm or inches) 54 X 54 inch

Style Expressionism

Technique, Medium & material used Acrylic on canvas

Date work was completed 2013