Lord Krishna

Rajesh Pritam More

Rajesh Pritam More was born on 20 February 1974 in Akola. In 1991, he moved to Mumbai, where he studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art. After completing his studies in 1999, he began to focus primarily on painting. His work has been exhibited in India, South Korea and Europe. In 2010, he received the Asia Art Award in Seoul, as well as an Excellence Award presented by EM Art Gallery. His artistic practice is shaped by two contrasting environments: the village of his childhood and the metropolis of Mumbai. He returns to his rural roots in the “Swades” series, which uses memories, interiors and everyday objects to capture traditional life in rural India and the changes it has undergone. His urban experience is explored in the “Salaam Mumbai” and “Lifeline 786” series. His work is characterised by the use of light and richly textured surfaces. He often applies paint with a palette knife, giving his paintings depth and dynamism. Alongside his visual art practice, he is also active in film and works as a director under the name Raj Pritam More. For the Marathi-language film “Khisa”, he received the award for Best Debut Director in the Non-Feature Film category at India’s 67th National Film Awards. In both painting and film, he repeatedly explores themes of the past, cultural identity and the relationship between people and the places they come from.