“I learnt there was more truth in black and white. Colour, though appealing, was not enough of a challenge, because life is full of shades. Should you care to see my creations with feeling’s eyes, you will find the colour of fire in the spirit of my paintings, the colour of dreams in my strokes, the many hues and shades of passion bring to life my creations.” Ajay De.

Born in 1967, Ajay De spent his days drawing, fueled by the wonderment of nature around him. After graduating from the Government College of Arts and Crafts & completing his post-graduate at the J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai, he found himself drawn towards the black and white tones of charcoal. Rejecting convention, he chose charcoal over other media and eventually embraced it. Ajay’s charcoals greet one with stunning effect due to the sheer magic of the medium and his control involving the deft use of fingers, thumb and even the palm. His use of light is masterful, the mood of the work is evocative and his portraits contain enigmatic subjects. With the passing years, Ajay De has been able to find his home in this medium, expanding the frontiers and experimenting with acrylic, adding a dash of colour to his works. Shades of red made their appearance in the Ganesha series and blue in the Mother Teresa series.

De`s paintings continue to be shaped by his childhood memories. As an introvert, he often found himself at a loss for words, until he discovered the joy of putting pencil to paper to draw and express his feelings. His life, and the experiences that shaped it, were a source of inspiration. “All my paintings reflect the complexities and troubles that besiege modern-day society. They are not deliberate efforts. They flow from within. I feel that art offers solutions to all problems in life, and my work offers a direction to these solutions,” he explains.

In 2015, Ajay De exhibited “The Butterfly People”, a marked shift with a suite of colorful works. Talking about his inspiration and motivation behind the works, he says, ” I got a chance to do something which is totally new for me. It is an extraordinary collaboration between nature and my artistic science. Looking to nature inspires the use of colours, and with charcoal, creates different levels of composition. Here I used leaves, flowers, and butterflies. In my butterflies, I attempt to explore such transformations of the human soul. The butterflies inspire me to live with my dreams of liberty, life & death, and beauty. For me, my art is a form of healing and recovery and provides solace and therapy during times of stress. It helps safeguard my own mental and spiritual health, hence discovering not only my own peace, also my own God.” Ajay De has been living and working in Mumbai for the last 26 years.