Amit Ambalal

A distinguished artist, Amit Ambalal lends a refreshing take on art, as he captivates with his trademark wit and humour. The expert is also known for working with untainted colours, blending them on paper instead of the palette.

Amit Ambalal is a self-taught artist with no formal training. He blossomed under the tutelage of veteran artist Chhaganlal Jadhav. Born in 1943 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, he graduated in Art, Commerce and Law, after which he joined the family business. In 1979, the artist answered his true calling by rejecting his legacy and taking a leap into the vibrant world of art.

The maverick draws inspiration from day to day life, offering his own interesting spin to it by interspersing reality with mythology. On the one hand, his work reflects deep influences of the Nathdwara style of devotional painting, and on the other, he adopts a contemporary style through which he portrays human behavioural dispositions with queer human and animal subjects. The artist has a special fondness for watercolours, and has said, "Watercolours have a knack of telling you when the painting is complete, apart from its luminosity and transparency, which is not seen in other mediums."

Amit Ambalal's first solo exhibition was in 1980, and over the years, he has participated in many shows around India, as well as in group exhibitions abroad. He currently lives and works in Ahmedabad.

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