Balraj Khanna, Out of the Blue (2), 1987 © Courtesy of the Estate of Balraj Khanna.
In these poetic, abstract paintings Balraj Khanna explores ideas of nature, community, imagination and the unconscious
Born in the Punjab region of India in 1939, Balraj Khanna was an artist, writer and curator. He moved to the UK in 1962 intending to further his studies in English literature, but instead discovered a passion for drawing and painting. Within months of his arrival in London, Khanna found a community of fellow artists, including the painters F.N. Souza (1924–2002) and Avinash Chandra (1931–1991). By 1964 he was a member of the Indian Painters Collective, a group that advocated for the representation of Indian artists in Britain.
In 1965, a lengthy period of recuperation from a road accident sparked a change in Khanna’s painting style. Recovering next to the Forêt St-Bernard in Metz, France, Khanna felt connected to nature for the first time since leaving India. He credited this time with instilling ‘a new force’ in his practice, inspiring his multi-layered abstract works. Incorporating organic and geometric forms, Khanna sought to express what he called ‘the theatre of the natural world’.
Khanna continued to experiment with new techniques and materials including string, sand and stencils to create vibrant surfaces that burst with life. His distinctive forms are ambiguous yet familiar. They suggest a range of images, from plants and animals to the toys and kites of his childhood.
Khanna had his first solo exhibition in 1965, and in the decades that followed he exhibited widely in the UK, France and United States. This display celebrates °Õ²¹³Ù±ð’s recent acquisition of three major paintings and is presented in affectionate memory of the artist, who passed away in January 2024.
Bridget Riley, Elongated Triangles I 1971
1/5
artworks in Balraj Khanna
Bridget Riley, Elongated Triangles 5 1971
4/5
artworks in Balraj Khanna
Bridget Riley, Fall 1963
Here, Bridget Riley repeats a single curving line to create varying optical frequencies that distort and confuse space. Since 1960, she has been exploring the visual sensation of looking, experimenting with the dynamic potential of optical effects. Riley mostly works with the contrast of black and white, occasionally introducing different tones of grey. Of this work, she said: ‘I try to organise a field of visual energy which accumulates until it reaches maximum tension.’
Gallery label, August 2024
5/5
artworks in Balraj Khanna
Art in this room
Bridget Riley
Elongated Triangles I
1971
Sorry, no image available
Bridget Riley
Concerto II
2024
Sorry, no image available
Bridget Riley
Late Morning 1
1967
Bridget Riley
Elongated Triangles 5
1971
Bridget Riley
Fall
1963