Arvind Kolapkar

Born in 1975 in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Arvind Kolapkar’s works are bright, happy expressions of joyous unions. In most of his paintings, one observes an amorous couple or groups of friends enjoying each other’s company, giving his work the appearance of a tribute to the relationships that people share.
Arvind Kolapkar is an artist from Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra where music is one of the most important pastimes. He is one who is greatly inspired by music, particularly classical and folk music which has played a predominant role in the work.
Colors and melody are seamlessly fused in his paintings which convey a kaleidoscope of emotions too. The female form, the central element of his art, is enchanting and even evoking a mysterious enigma. More so accentuated by the covering of the eyes with a ‘band’. As the figures seem to occupy their own place in the canvas, an ‘unworldly’ aura permeates through them and pervades the canvas.
The figures seem to glide through, float and rest in sublime fashion. These styled, lyrically drawn shapes give the impression of images from fresco paintings. The artist has painted them in arresting colors and endowed more or less each one with a musical instrument, be it the flute or the tanpura. A rhythm of sorts is thereby created which flows through the canvas. The intertwined bodies hint at the emotion of love but its treatment in a ‘spiritual’ way uplifts the work from the mundane.
For Kolapkar, painting is an ongoing process of creative activity where emotion and music play a greater role in the end product.
Arvind Kolapkar completed a Diploma in Art Education from the Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune, in 2000. Prior to that, he received a General Diploma in art in 1999, and an Art Teacher’s Diploma in 1993, both from the same institution. Kolapkar was awarded the State Art Painting Award in 2002.