Dive deep into Paul Koli's love for printmaking in what was then old Bombay

A SoBo art gallery shines a light on the lesser-known works of veteran printmaker and educator who put Indian contemporary art on the map

In the late ’50s, Paul Koli stumbled upon his love for printmaking in what was then old Bombay — a passion that has now brewed quietly for over seven decades. Over these years, while nurturing aspiring artists at Sir JJ School of Art, and crafting distinct prints during stolen moments, the artist and his works have largely remained hidden from the public eye. Now, over two decades after the artist’s works were last exhibited publicly, an art gallery is preparing to unveil some of his earliest works this weekend.

Gourmoni Das, curator, Nine Fish Art Gallery, that is hosting the exhibition, sheds light on Koli’s role in the establishment of printmaking as a practice in the city. Having worked with YK Shukla, founder of the printmaking studio at Sir JJ School of Art, Koli soon took charge of the studio in 1972, where he continued to serve as an educator and organiser until 1990. Today, contemporary artists like Jitish Kallat, Anant Nikam, and Ravi Mandlik, among many others, who have put Indian contemporary art on the map, fondly remember him as ‘Paul Sir’.

Paul Koli

“Although he was a prominent figure in the community, he has always been reclusive and modest about his professional achievements. When I visited him with a plan to revive his works, he wasn’t too keen on publicising or promoting his works. It took a month of persuasion before I finally received a nod from him,” Das recalls, revealing the reason behind the artist’s unusually long hiatus.

Koli’s works, the curator tells us, take inspiration from diverse ideas right from mythology and philosophy, to world history and politics. “He was never an outgoing artist but made time to attend workshops around the world. His brief visits to Japan, France and the UK for print exchange programmes influenced his world view and motivated him to bring newer schools of thought and methodologies to Mumbai,” he points out. The veteran artist seems to agree. In a short chat with this writer, he shares, “It was a workshop by artist Paul Lingren in Delhi in 1970, where he showcased the importance of viscosity in colour printmaking that gave me the much-needed drive to teach graphic printmaking in Mumbai. My vision was to develop budding printmakers, give them various kinds of exposures by attending workshops and interacting with artists with technical expertise and varied experiences.”

The contemporary art gallery will showcase nearly 60 of Koli’s works, including early works such as Tri-Star, which portrays a flying angel in motion, said to be following the Star of Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus Christ. Exuberance, another work from the collection, is the artist’s interpretation of emotions bursting out of a person or an artist experiencing catharsis after expressing his agony on paper. Das shares that collating Koli’s works was far from an easy task as many of his works are either with collectors or hidden in archives. Fifty-four of the collated artworks are the artist’s original impressions, of which no other copies exist. Giving us a peek of what follows, the curator adds, “We plan to publish a book featuring these works to document the artist’s legacy for the future generations. The plan has been in the works for a while. It will be my tribute to Paul Sir.”

On December 8, 6.30 pm (preview); December 9 to January 4, 10.30 am to 7.30 pm 
At Nine Fish Art Gallery, The New Great Eastern Mills, Byculla East. 
Call 86550442300
Free

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!