About
Sohan Qadri was the first Indian artist to venture into the realm of abstraction composing paintings that emerged from deep states of meditation. A poet, painter and Tantric yogi, Qadri is deeply engaged with spirituality. Growing up in Punjab, Qadri received exposure to Sufism, Hinduism, and Sikhism early in life. He was initiated into yogic practice by the age of seven. As a teenager, he ran away to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in search of higher truths.
A fascination with Buddhist doctrines continues to influence Qadri’s life and work. Today he is widely recognized for his luminous dye-infused works on meticulously serrated and punctured paper. He begins his process by bathing paper in acid-free water and once it is swollen with liquid, he rhythmically scores the surface and applies inks and dyes. The repetition of these careful incisions is an integral part of his meditation. Relying on a language of orifices and elongated paths or lines, Qadri abandons representation in search for transcendence. Imbued with vibrant hues, the rippled surfaces possess a strong sense of energy and rhythm. These are works that arrest our thoughts and invite us to experience the metaphysical.
Over his long career, Qadri has interacted with notable cultural figures, including the Surrealist painter René Magritte, architect Le Corbusier, and Indian author Mulk Raj Anand. He has had more than 80 one-man exhibitions in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. His works are held in such collections as the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts; the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; and the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. His paintings are also in notable private collections, including those of Cirque du Soleil, Heinrich Böll, and Dr. Robert Thurman. Qadri lives and works in Copenhagen.
A fascination with Buddhist doctrines continues to influence Qadri’s life and work. Today he is widely recognized for his luminous dye-infused works on meticulously serrated and punctured paper. He begins his process by bathing paper in acid-free water and once it is swollen with liquid, he rhythmically scores the surface and applies inks and dyes. The repetition of these careful incisions is an integral part of his meditation. Relying on a language of orifices and elongated paths or lines, Qadri abandons representation in search for transcendence. Imbued with vibrant hues, the rippled surfaces possess a strong sense of energy and rhythm. These are works that arrest our thoughts and invite us to experience the metaphysical.
Over his long career, Qadri has interacted with notable cultural figures, including the Surrealist painter René Magritte, architect Le Corbusier, and Indian author Mulk Raj Anand. He has had more than 80 one-man exhibitions in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. His works are held in such collections as the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts; the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; and the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. His paintings are also in notable private collections, including those of Cirque du Soleil, Heinrich Böll, and Dr. Robert Thurman. Qadri lives and works in Copenhagen.