LOT 81
NIKHIL RANJAN PAL
B. India, 1958
Dreaming, 1999/2000
Watercolour on rice paper pasted on board
26 x 25 cm
Signed “Nikhil Pal’ on lower right
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Canada
RM 2,500 – 3,500
Nikhil Ranjan Pal (b. 1958) is an Indian contemporary artist known for his sensitively stylised figurative works, particularly his poetic portrayals of women. He studied Painting at Visva-Bharati University’s Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan, completing both his BFA and MFA. His works have beenexhibited extensively across India and internationally, including in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In Dreaming, Pal creates an intimate and contemplative portrait through delicate watercolour washes on rice paper. The softly rendered femalefigure conveys a quiet sense of introspection, while Pal’s restrained palette and sensitive handling of line create an atmosphere of reverie and stillness. The simplicity of the composition allows the subject’s expression and inner world to take centre stage, reflecting the gentle romanticism characteristic of Pal’s figurative practice.
Notably, Dreaming was previously offered at auction as Lot 95 in 2023, with provenance from the Javitri Shah Collection, Utrecht.