Shanti Panchal’s subjects are symbols - enigmatic, potent and unsettling. An inner spirituality from the stillness of his figures emanates from the subjects’ huge eyes and then gathers in the darkened centre of the forehead - Shiva’s third eye, the mystical core of intuitive vision. Stillness and tranquillity belie the complex interplay of emotions and relationships between the figures. No distracting detail surrounds them, giving them timeless quality and universal appeal.
Shanti says, ‘The world is a stage where each one of us has a role to play. Here on this stage, we are destined with a purpose. There is an entry and an exit. Many great people have experienced this concept and have realised the ultimate truth, which is, ironically, so personal. And this personal journey of self-discovery through the obscured events of our lives allows us to see beyond the realities that confront us every day. Often the events of my life compel me to paint that which is not visible. One drifts between the real and the unreal: the real becomes unreal and the unreal becomes real. This escape and shifting of focus is the essence of survival - I seek spiritual vision and values through my work; and although the mystical and spiritual vision of El Greco and William Blake move me immensely, my own understanding and interior vision is firmly rooted in my Hindu sensibility’.
It was during Shanti Panchal’s early years in London and whilst travelling to Europe and America that he observed that, historically, the potential of watercolour had not been explored to the same extent of oil and acrylic. He realised that, to achieve true depth, colour must penetrate the paper and subsequently developed his technique of mixing his colours directly on the paper rather than on a palette. Seeing the many layers of paint that he uses as a reflection of life’s layers and experiences, Shanti has developed a very personal language in his painting, especially with his use of earthen colours, which very much relate to his early years in Gujarat.
Born in Mesar, (Gujarat, India), Shanti Panchal began his artistic studies in Bombay, continuing in London at Byam Shaw School of Art, London, with a British Council Scholarship. Thereafter, a period as Artist in Residence for various institutions, including the British Museum and Windsor and Newton, saw the beginning of a notable career highlighted by countless prestigious awards and exhibitions. Shanti has recently become Honorary Member of both the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) and the Royal Watercolour Society (RWS). Commissions include one for the Imperial War Museum, London and various Public Art murals for the City of London and Stoke on Trent.
Shanti Panchal’s contemporary artwork is represented extensively in private and public art collections in both the UK and India. As well as being represented by Red Rag Gallery, Shanti Panchal’s work is exhibited at many major London galleries and throughout the UK and India. Each painting at Red Rag is sourced from the artist’s studio and, like all Red Rag contemporary art, it can be shipped worldwide.
