A multi-faceted artist, Satish Gupta is a painter, sculptor, poet, writer, printmaker, skilled draftsman, muralist, designer, calligrapher and ceramicist. He was born in 1947 in New Delhi, studied art at the College of Art, New Delhi. He then moved to Paris in 1970, on a scholarship to study graphics and lived there for two formative years.

As a young artist in Paris, he came across a Zen book in a book shop, which marked a significant phase in his life. Now, most of his works have a unifying theme – his intensely spiritual reflection. Gupta’s works are known for its special meditative quality. As a viewer one experiences a sense of calm detachment, an assurance that the artist is both a participant and an observer in his own life.

Gupta is also known for his etchings inspired by Rajasthan, in the context of which he says, “I used to make etchings of mountains. I was inclined towards minimalism, so my earlier etchings were devoid of much colour. Then, one day in Sikkim, I experienced a sense of unity with God when I entered the Rumtek Monastery. It was such a contrast, from stark to warm hues, that from then on I decided to change my palette from blues, greys and whites to earthy colours. That’s when I turned to Rajasthan,” he says.

As an artist he doesn’t like to be categorized and this is evident in his artistic journey. Satish’s journey began appropriately enough as a painter of landscapes, always drawn to nature and he created a niche for himself, his landscapes instantly recognisable and associated with him as an artist. Then came sculptures – a stepping stone into a newer format. He was moulting yet again; and yet again, the change was as dramatic as it was unheralded.

Several of Satish’s works are often gigantic and are displayed in museums, airports and hotels. “MA” was one such painting, which was 1.6 kilometres long on the beach in Puducherry. He also has a 23 feet sculpture in Copper “The Buddhas Within” in the permanent collections of the Prince Of Wales Museum (CSMVS) in Mumbai. His sculpture on The Sun God is at the International Airport in New Delhi and created a 30 feet long mural for the Bengaluru International Airport. Another monumental 5 piece metal sculpture ranging from 11.5 feet to 35 feet in height and weighing over 22,000 pounds inspired by the five primal elements, is located at the Jindal Center in New Delhi.

‘Wings of Eternity’ a multimedia event with an aerial dance by Isha Sherwani and live gestural calligraphy by the artist on stage was presented at The Royal Opera House in Mumbai. ‘Zen Whispers’ an exhibition of his works was presented at the Sutra Foundation in Kuala Lampur. Ramli Ibrahim – the internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer who is the national living treasure of Malaysia and Geetikashri danced and interacted with him while he painted a canvas on stage. In early 2017 he painted live at the National Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana along with a showing of his calligraphic scrolls.

Apart from painting, sculptures, and live shows he has also released his book ‘Zen Whispers’ at The Jaipur Literature Festival 2018.

Satish has exhibited at more than 37 solo shows at important art galleries within the country and abroad. His works are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi. Recently his sculptures along with some canvasses were acquired by The Museum Of Sacred Arts, Brussels and were exhibited in the show “Forms of Devotion” in Thailand and the Shanghai Museum of Modern Art. The artist also collaborated with India’s Prime Minister, Narendar Modi on a Sculpture painting “Om Namo Shivaya” for a charitable cause which was auctioned by the Sotheby’s.