A. RAMACHANDRAN | Untitled (Elephant)

Acquired directly from the artist, New Delhi, 1985

“This was done during the turbulent days of Emergency. It was meant as a political satire. The elephant, here, is a composite figure of human beings shown with the politician and his attachment to official position - the chair.” (Correspondence with the artist, April 2019) A. Ramachandran notes that his artistic process began foremost on paper. “The beginning of each painting has always started with an impression from nature or social event. Starting with a series of drawings, I try to distill the images by a process of transformation. I leave the drawing and start painting, the moment the images meet the demand of the canvas." (Artist statement, 1980s, Courtesy Barbier Family Archives)