• Jehangir Sabavala

    Jehangir Sabavala was born in India in the year 1922.

    Sabavala works most often in oils, creating landscapes, seascapes and figures deftly with his brush, and has recently begun to paint cityscapes as well. Describing his palette as quiet, this modern Indian artist says that veiled light and middle-tones appeal to him much more than pure colours and loud imagery. An artist practicing in the modernist style with a deeply ingrained classical influence, JehangirSabavala creates almost geometric wedges out of paint, which he puts together to form vast, tranquil scenes. These ‘receding planes’ give each canvas an illusory sense of depth, illustrating Sabavala’s mastery over light, colour, and texture.

  • Education

    • 1953-54 The Academie Julian
    • 1948-51 The Academie Julian & Academie Andre Lhote, Paris
    • 1945-47 The Heatherly School of Art, London.
    • 1957 The Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris
    • 1942-44 Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai
    • 1939-41 Elphinstone College, University of Mumbai

  • Exibitions

    Selected Posthumous Exhibitions

    • 2014 'Immutable Gaze Part I: Masterpieces of Modern and Pre-Modern Indian Art', aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2012 'Diva', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2012 'Iconic Processions', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2012 'Contemporary: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Art', prsented by Sakshi Gallery at The Park, Chennai
    • 2012 'Through the Ages: South Asian Sculpture and Painting from Antiquity to Modernism', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2012 'Sightings', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2011 'Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
    • 2011 'Masters Ltd: Limited Editions', Gallery Beyond, Mumbai

    Selected Solo Exhibitions

    • 2008-09 'Ricorso', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai; Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2005-06 ‘Jehangir Sabavala: A Retrospective’, National Gallery of Modern Art , Mumbai and Delhi organized by Sakshi Gallery
    • 2002 ‘Occasions of Light: Recent Paintings by Jehangir Sabavala’, organized by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Shridharani Gallery, Delhi, Gallery Artsindia, New York
    • 1998 ‘Recent Paintings by Jehangir Sabavala’, organized by Eminence Designs and Apparao Galleries(Chennai) at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1993 ‘Pilgrim, Exile, Sorcerer-Recent Paintings-Jehangir Sabavala’, organized by Gallery Arts Trust (Chennai) at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), Delhi
    • 1988 ‘Exhibition of Paintings by Jehangir Sabavala’, organized by ITC, The Gallery, Chennai
    • 1988 ‘Exhibition of Paintings by Jehangir Sabavala’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1983 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1980 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1976 ‘Jehangir Sabavala Paintings’ ‘73 to ‘75’, organized by Gallery Chemould at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai and Black Partridge Art Gallery, Delhi
    • 1973 ‘Jehangir Sabavala Recent Paintings’, Gallery Chemould, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1972-73 Kunika- Chemould Art Centre, Delhi and Gallery Chemould, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1969 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
    • 1969 Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London and Edinburgh, Scotland
    • 1966 ‘Recent Works of Jehangir Sabavala’, organized by Gallery Chemould, Mumbai at Coomarasawmy Hall, Mumbai; Kunika-Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
    • 1964 Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1958 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1955 ‘Exhibition of Paintings-Jehangir Sabavala’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1951 ‘Jehangir Sabavala - Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings’, Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai
    • 1958 Paris, France
    • 1949 Monaco

    Selected Group Exhibitions

    • 2011 'Form and Formlessness', Art Alive Gallery, Gurgaon
    • 2011 'Anecdotes', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2011 'High-Light', presented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at The Oberoi, Gurgaon
    • 2010-11 'Figure/Landscape: Part Two', Aicon Gallery, London
    • 2010 Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2010 'Figure/Landscape: Part One', Aicon Gallery, New York
    • 2010 'The Modernists', RL Fine Arts, New York
    • 2009 'Master Class', The Arts Trust, Mumbai
    • 2009 'Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art', Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
    • 2005 ‘Trends and Techniques,- Water Color in India’, Galerie 88, Kolkata
    • 2004 ‘The Search’, Mumbai
    • 2004 The Jehangir Nicholson Collection, Mumbai
    • 2003 ‘Rain’, Galerie International and Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2001/03/04 ‘Ideas and Images’-III, V, VI, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA),Mumbai
    • 2001 ‘Palette 2001’, Palette Art Gallery, Delhi
    • 2001 RPG Collection, National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA), Mumbai
    • 2000 ‘Engendering Images of India’, Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2000 ‘Early Works’, Fine Art Company, Mumbai
    • 2000 ‘Erotica’, Fine Art Company, Mumbai
    • 2000 'The Millennium Show', Nehru Centre, Mumbai
    • 2000 'Celebration of the Human Image', Gallery 42, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
    • 2000 'Distillations', Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai
    • 2000 'A Sorrowful Mystery', The Arts Trust, National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA),Mumbai
    • 1999 'The World is Round and Time is Cyclical', Art Today, Delhi
    • 1999 'Flashback – Flash forward', presented by RPG, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1999 'The Indian Fine Arts Society', Singapore
    • 1998 'A Collector's Eye', The Jehangir Nicholson Collection, National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA),Mumbai
    • 1998 'Indian Contemporary Art', presented by RPG and Bayer, Leverkusen and Monheim, Germany
    • 1998 'Ruminations', Apparao Galleries, Mumbai
    • 1998 'Spirit and Soul, Indian Painting Today', The Rotunda, Hong Kong
    • 1997 'The Search', Apparao Galleries, Chennai, New York
    • 1997 'Rare and Important Paintings', The Classic Source and Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1997 'The Looking Glass Self', Gallery Lakeeran, Mumbai
    • 1997 'Colours of Independence', presented by CIMA, Kolkata and the National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA), New Delhi
    • 1997 '50 Years of Freedom of Expression', presented by RPG, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1997 'Image beyond Image', the Masanori Fukuoka Collection, National Gallery of Modern Art(NGMA), Mumbai
    • 1997 '50 Years of Art in Mumbai: 1947-97', National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
    • 1997 'The Searching Spirit', Singapore
    • 1997 'HEART: The Intuitive Logic II', Mumbai
    • 1996 'Chamatkara: Myth & Magic in Indian Art', Whiteleys Art Gallery, London
    • 1996 'Urban Signals Shifting Images', Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai, Kolkata
    • 1995 'Indian Contemporary Art', Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur
    • 1995 'Art for CRY', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Rabindra Bhavan Art Gallery, Delhi
    • 1994-95 'People for Animals Art Show', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi
    • 1994 'Review 1930-1993', National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
    • 1992 'Silver Jubilee', Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
    • 1992 'Masters of India Art Show', Art's Trust, Mumbai
    • 1992 'Artists against Communalism', Mumbai
    • 1992 'Pioneers to the New Generation', Arts Acre, Kolkata
    • 1990 'Art Mosaic', Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi
    • 1988 'Art for CRY', Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore
    • 1982 'Modern Indian Paintings', Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
    • 1981 'Indian Painting Today', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 1979-81 Kala Yatra's Contemporary Indian Painting & Sculpture, Kuala Lumpur, Kochi, Kolkata
    • 1979 'Asian Artists Exhibition, Fukuoka Art Museum, Tokyo
    • 1975 Gallery Nasrudin, Boston
    • 1975 'Contemporary Art from India', Washington
    • 1975 'Contemporary Artists from Maharashtra', New Delhi
    • 1972-73 '25 Years of Indian Art', New Delhi & Mumbai
    • 1970 'Indian Painters', Tehran
    • 1968 'Art Scene Today', Ahmedabad
    • 1966 'Art Now in India', Ghent
    • 1965 Liang Art Gallery, Newcastle- on-Tyne
    • 1950 Salon National Independent, Paris
    • 1948 Grand Prix de la Peinture de Monaco

    Participations

    • 2011 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose
    • 2010 'Evolve: 10th Anniversary Show', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
    • 2010 'Roots', 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai at The Park, Chennai
    • 1996,2000,03 'The Harmony Show', Nehru Centre, Mumbai
    • 1991 '7th Triennale India', New Delhi
    • 1976 'Art Exhibition, the 25th Pugwash Conference', Chennai
    • 1965 Commonwealth Arts Festival, London
    • 1964 Contemporary Indian Art Exhibition, Sydney
    • 1954 Venice Biennale, Italy

    Honours and Awards

    • 2005 Felicitation by the Society of Contemporary Artists, Kolkata
    • 2004 Lalit Kala Ratna Award presented by the President of India
    • 2003 The Maharashtra Rajya kala Pradarshan Kalakar Vibhag: Satkar
    • 2002 The Dadabhai Naoroji Millennium Award, Mumbai
    • 2001 All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society ‘Kala Ratna’, Delhi
    • 2000 National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
    • 1993 Art Society of India, Citation
    • 1977 ‘Padma Shri’, by President of India
    • 1949 Grand Prix de la Peinture, Monaco

    Jehangir Sabavala passed away in the year 2011.