Osian's Auction Catalogue The Masterpieces and Museum Quality Series | October 2004

114 OSIAN ’ s–CONNOISSEURS OF ART 75 Manu PAREKH [b .1939, Ahmedabad, Gujarat] 18 th Page Signed in English l.l. Pen, Ink & Watercolour on paper pasted on plywood, 1979 58.9 x 89.5 cm (23.2 x 35.2 in) Rs. 275,000 – 350,000 $ 5,950 – 7,550 £ 3,250 – 4,150 ‘Formally there was the suggestion of a head, a face, a torso but there was something more than this; a new element of much consequence, as has been proved subsequently, was merging; a biogenetic proliferation of form drawing the physical attributes from man, nature and plant plus fecund imagination. There is more than a touch of what can only be termed as physiological phantasy…The human, vegetal and animal elements intermingle and materialize as one single life force… The aggressiveness and menacing nature of some of his imagery may indicate his own assertion to survive in the midst of this chaos…The proliferation, the thrust and audacity that one might sense in them, the cheek by jowl existence of forms in Manu’s paintings might be symbolical. All that Manu is proposing in his paintings is. the perpetual mystery of life and the proliferous continuance of the species against all odds. Manu’s approach is unique and so is his imagery.’ – S.A.Krishnan, rpt. in LKC 27 April 1979; p12.