Shanti Panchal: A Personal Language of Painting 2007-2018

Panchal has been a regular visit to Provence for many years. He has also been inspired by artists who are known for their careful plotting of a composition, and their associated particular and subtle palettes - such as the English painter and Slade professor, Euan Uglow (1932-2000) and the Italian master of the quiet yet monumental still life, Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964). In Watering Cans, two tall, angular vessels, which were seen on a ledge beside a public fountain in Provence, are treated with reverence and monumentality, Panchal's usual vibrant 'Indian' palette swapped for something altogether more muted - in a direct homage to Morandi. Although the actual watering cans were bathed in brilliant Provençal light, the final painting was made in a London studio on a dull day, filtered through photographs and sketches.