Sunil Padwal (b. 1969) is a Mumbai-based contemporary artist known for his distinctive line drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installations. A graduate of the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art (1989), Padwal’s work focuses on the anguished protagonist and the complexities of the modern city.
His compositions are a thoughtful culmination of memory, pollution, and the turpitudes of the changing metropolis, reflecting the lives of humans and animals "stuck in today's concrete jungle." Padwal's paintings—often described as simple, old, and immaculate—are built through a layered process, working much like a sculptor by adding and subtracting color and form from the surface.
Padwal incorporates found objects, twisted metal, and unusual curved surfaces as integral parts of his art, pushing the boundaries of the frame itself. In recent conceptual works, such as hand-painted wooden books, he challenges the observer, forcing them to confront the mystery and magic behind his perpetually evolving expression. Padwal is recognized as a vital, continuously experimenting artist for the new millennium.
