Pramod Kurlekar

Light My Fire, oil on linen, 30 x 28" (76 x 71 cm)

INSPIRATION

In a developing country like India, the lives of most of the people are consumed in fulfilling family responsibilities. Many sacrifice their own dreams and desires, and those are the people that were the inspiration for this painting. The person in the portrait has reached the threshold of old age, fulfilling all his familial responsibilities. In the dusk of his life, in a gloomy mood, he can be seen reminiscing all the “what might have been” and lost opportunities. He is looking toward us all with hope and desire that someone might provide the panacea to revive all his dreams, which have been laid to rest in his mind. I’ve tried to capture the state of his mind, which is represented by the cigarette waiting for a light.

ARTISTIC PATH

My love for art can be traced back to my early childhood. As a kid, I once drew a figure of “Lord Hanuman” in one of the temples close to my village. I realized my drawing was considerably better than my peers and even better than some older kids. My love for art grew many folds due to this incident, and it gave me confidence. It made me realize that I was born to spend my life in the service of art. I went on to complete my higher education with a six-year degree in fine arts from Kalavishwa University Sangli and completed a degree with First Class distinction from Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai. I have exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions.