Shanti Panchal: A Personal Language of Painting 2007-2018

This sensitive portrait of Panchal's two elder sons (Drew and Stephen) foregrounds the narrative that took both away from home, as young soldiers, to serve with the British army in Helmand Province in Afghanistan - and then, after six and four years respectively, to return safely. The brothers pose in mufti, with no hint of military uniform or regalia. The clue to their shared journey, which they began as youngsters, lies with their childhood toys: a model soldier - maybe an Action Man - and a model tank, set out on the tabletop before them. The artist implies that important decisions which shape our lives may have their roots in our earliest experiences. He also feels passionately that frontline experiences inflicts lasting psychological damage on these young soldiers, which is often ignored or unrecognised. A companion portrait of his two sons, Boys Return from Helmand, 2010, was acquired in 2012 by The Imperial War Museum, London.