30 years after death, a critique of the world he lived in

Born in 1928, Brij Mohan Anand was known for his commercial works including graphic-based designs, commissioned illustrations for leading cultural and news organisations and posters.

However, a bulk of his work remained hidden from the public and his reluctance to display his work perhaps prevented him from becoming a well-known critic of feudalism, British imperialism and the Cold War. These hidden gems are his response to the politics of his time. Anti-establishment and Left-oriented, they brought out the challenges and tensions of India’s modernity.

A huge stash of his works was accidently discovered at his residence nearly three decades after he died in 1986. The B.M Foundation was set up by his family to restore, preserve and propagate the work and vision of the artist.

These works are, for the first time, on display at an exhibition titled “Narratives for Indian Modernity: The Aesthetic of Brij Mohan Anand”. The exhibition features 35 sketches, 14 scratchboards, three scratchboard sketches, five ink drawings, six Red Cross posters, 23 book covers and five oil-on-canvas paintings that are thought-provoking and provide an insight into Anand’s stance on socio-political issues.

His daughter Kriti Anand said she remembers him working on many works at a time, and revisiting them from time-to-time to make changes and add elements. Every painting, she added, has minute details and every component of the work is there for a reason.

“I often wonder how my father came up with these concepts because as kids we never really saw him leave the house to travel, meet people or read voraciously. In hindsight, his themes were extremely thought-provoking, well-researched and he even took on some of India’s icons like Gandhi in his works,” said Ms. Anand.

She hopes that these fearless works of art will be shown to the world and that he will become known for his works that are not only a voice of dissent but also a critique of his times.

Curator of the show, art historian Alka Pande, said: “Anand was an imaginative, sensitive and a gifted artist who lived his life with what might be perceived as inflexible tone and tenor.”

She added that the works are a part of a far-larger archive, which is the subject of ongoing research and restoration. A book, “Narratives for Indian Modernity: The Aesthetic of Brij Mohan Anand”, was also been released. It has been co-authored by writer-biographer Aditi Anand and British art historian Grant Pooke.

The exhibition is on till May 22 at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, gate no.1, India International Centre.

30 years after death, a critique of the world he lived in

His reluctance to display his work perhaps kept him from becoming a critic of feudalism, imperialism, Cold War