Fashion’s Brush with Art #6: Sunil Padwal for Verve

Muse: Kalki Koechlin. Photographs by Jatin Kampani. Art by Sunil Padwal. Styling by Nisha Jhangiani. Assisted by Shirin Salwan. Make-up and Hair by Clint Fernandes.

Sunil Padwal creates an exclusive work of art for Verve using Kalki Koechlin as a muse. See the dramatic before and after transformation and discover the artist’s thought process

SUNIL PADWAL
“It seemed as if she was hiding something.”

THE INSPIRATION AND THOUGHT BEHIND HIS ARTISTIC CREATION
“Title: 511
Abbreviation: means too much information – (Internet Lingo). My series is about contemporary Mumbai or Bombay. The drawings in this series explore and explain what Bombay has become in its shape and patterns of living. It looks at the implications of change in Mumbai and the ways in which it has affected its people. Uncertainty and illusion that we call modernity – everyday life refers to chaotic routine, the homeward trudge of daily existence. Drawings that layer abstract forms with architectural imagery. Inspired by a multitude of sources, including memories, urban-construction, grids, modernist structures, animals and humans stuck or trapped in a concrete jungle, these semi abstract works explore the intersections of power, history, dystopia, and the built environment and their impact on the formation of personal identities.”

FIRST REACTION ON SEEING KALKI’S IMAGE
“A delusional personality/revealing or hiding something!”

THE FUSION OF ART, FASHION AND PHOTOGRAPHY
“Interesting exercise! Ideally would have loved to be a part of the idea from its inception – share my own thoughts with photographer and designer and create a collaborative work of art from scratch.”

Sunil Padwal’s work addresses issues of modern India; yet upon closer look, the psychological content of these intimate and delicately detailed images is likely to resonate on a universal level. It speaks to the individual while crossing myriad cultural contexts. Primarily a painter who has worked in varied mediums, his work comprises line drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations. He lives and works in Mumbai. He has shown his work extensively in India and his paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. He is currently working on an upcoming solo show in Singapore.

“Watch the behind-the-scenes shoot of the making of these fabulous canvases here.”

“And read about Kalki’s views on art and cinema in the exploratory cover story here.”