I wish to realize what the colours have to offer in a certain moment. I wait for the things to happen and pervade my picture space, which was empty before their arrival, and would remain empty if resonances of a happening have not left their marks on it."
Anwar Khan, widely recognized in the art world as simply Anwar, was born in 1964 in Ambha, a small town located in Madhya Pradesh. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Anwar did not receive formal training from a prominent art institution in a major city. Instead, driven by a deep passion for painting, he pursued his studies in Gwalior, earning a National Diploma in Fine Arts in 1985.
Despite his modest beginnings, Anwar has carved a unique space for himself in the Indian contemporary art scene. He has developed a distinctive and internationally recognized abstract style that distinguishes him from other artists. Between 1986 and 2003, he held solo exhibitions almost annually, showcasing the evolution of his artistic language. Today, he lives and works in Bhopal, having moved there after completing his studies, drawn by the city's vibrant artistic community.
From his early days, Anwar resisted the then-dominant trend of figuration. In Bhopal, he found mentorship under the renowned artist J. Swaminathan, who played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic philosophy. Swaminathan introduced him to Sufism and its principles of love and light—ideas that deeply influenced Anwar’s mature works. His earlier abstractions were marked by sharp, angular forms, but over time, his approach became more refined and introspective. Swaminathan once described his work as “watching a waterfall or a storm at sea with the sound muted”—a testament to the silent, powerful energy that Anwar channels onto his canvas.
A turning point in Anwar’s artistic journey was the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, which left a lasting emotional impact on him. Grappling with a mix of despair, grief, and hope, Anwar began expressing complex emotions through layered compositions that marked a significant shift in his visual language.
In his recent works, a recurring feature is the vertical division of the canvas, often bisecting the composition with a near-central line that draws all surface activity toward it. He grinds his own pigments and applies them in textured layers, using dry pastels to add gestural, calligraphic marks. At times, he incorporates painted or woven materials, giving his works a tactile, almost sculptural quality. These pieces convey an emotional depth and lyrical resonance that speak to his personal journey and inner world.
Anwar’s practice continues to be a compelling blend of spiritual insight, technical mastery, and visual poetry—firmly establishing him as one of the most distinctive voices in Indian abstraction.
