Academician and practising artist N P Pandey, an alumnus of Vishwa Bharati University, Santiniketan, is a versatile master who has exhibited his skills across a variety of mediums, ranging from mixed media, oil on canvas, acrylics, to the lesser used mediums, such as charcoal, crayons, and lithographs. Of all these, the artist claims that his mastery lies in graphic prints where he has heightened his feminine figures in all its glory. The prints, which display the facial features through a play of light falling on the features, contrasted with deeper undertones at the edges, creates a narrative of many possibilities. In his own assessment Pandey adds: ‘Being originally trained in Graphics, my paintings tend to be confined to linear beauty, and the power of line and texture. At other times, I work with pen and ink and charcoal, or acrylic colour for my canvases. I am much inspired by the Indian mural paintings of Ajanta. My other inspirations are the oils of Amrita Sher-Gil and the works of the well-known modern Indian painter Jagdish Dey.’
The artist’s other subjects of choice are the nature-life relationship which he has presented with great sensitivity. As the winner of the award of ‘Outstanding Exhibit’ of the Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh, he has also been an awardee of the prestigious award of the Lalit Kala Akademi, Himachal Pradesh, All India Exhibition of Prints by Government College of Art, Chandigarh and the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Award (AIFACS) among others. This artist has been recognised both at home and abroad. He was also a visitor to the UK under the British Council Cultural Exchange Programme. The artist lives and works in Agra
