Art allows one to explore a world which is beyond the obvious. Ambadas has been trying to just do that, while not moving away from reality. He has made efforts to showcase change in his works as a way of life. For him painting is a medium to present life and its reality on canvas in a way which is not traditionally figurative and not easy to comprehend.
He has made a mark on Indian art as pioneer of abstract paintings. For a layman his paintings may be difficult to understand, but as one stresses mind and focuses on his work, one can understand a sense of restlessness in his creations. His strokes, the way he uses his brush and it appears on canvas, we can see the message Ambadas wants to convey. And the message is dualism emanating from a feeling of constant hope and despair.
In life we are daily confronted with this sense of futility of our life and the very purpose of our existence. Many philosophers have given their view on the subject , yet life remains an enigma. Each night envelops us in darkness, yet it is followed by refreshing morning, which brings hope. We are daily confronted between forces of negativism and positivism, light and darkness, hell and heaven, rise and fall. Ambadas has presented that sense of dualism in his paintings. In his effort, he has made us witness the cosmic order on his convas.
Every artist is influenced by his surroundings and society. Ambadas has been inspired by Indian philiosophy and monasticism. He has been living abroad and has made home away from his homeland. Anybody living abroad suffers from clash of interest and longs for his roots. His paintings also reflect a sense of restless soul, who is in search peace and harmony. At the same time, his paintings make us believe whole universe is originated from one fountain, which seems to the direct influence of Monism. Though, his paintings are abstract in appearance and each lines are of different shape and direction, they seem to be united by a sense of unity.
The world is also full of negative and positive forces. On positive side, we have love, binding and harmony while on the negative side, we have to confront conflicts, hatred, and breakdown in relations. To present this universal idea on the canvas, Ambadas invented a new technique. In his own words, he uses Kerosene to break the color and uses varnish to bind it again. He is the harbinger of this technique in India and it gives his paintings a unique look, which needs to explore.
Unlike other artists, who have pre-conceived ideas before they start putting strokes on the canvas, Ambadas starts his work with an empty mind and allows the creation to make him think on the subject. He gets inspired by his creation and get his ideas from that. Interestingly, a bishop once told Ambadas that he could easily do the same paintings. Ambadas answered to the bishop that latter could easily do the same paintings, but would not remember it afterwards. Ambadas, on the other hand is stuck to his creations for all his life. He has used his strokes in very careful manner and each lines seem to have many layers beneath it. Working tirelessly on any painting, Ambadas has presented to us works which is not easy to decipher. Each line in his paintings is different in shape and size! They are not identical.
Ambadas has never trod the beaten track. He has created his own path and has enabled us to think over his style. His use of color and space has changed over a period of time and it looks in harmony with his work. Initially used to bright and vibrant colors, he has started using light and sober colors of late. On the canvas, his use of color and space appear to be in harmony with each other. Having a look at his work leads us to think that he does not leave any space blank. The entire canvas is breathing. Many of his works have been compared with Islamic calligraphy due to appearance and resemblance. His works are also synonymous for representing chaos and turmoil on the canvas, although it is not easy to understand his paintings.
The works of Ambadas present the realities of life using his own style. It leaves us with thousand suggestions and it is for the viewer to get to the meaning of the work. Life is always changing and it is continuous dialogue between present and past. Experiences of life are not easy to understand and have different meanings for us. The paintings of Ambadas invite us to explore a world which reflects ‘reality’ on canvas, as we experience it in our lives. For him, paintings are not only means to achieve creative satisfaction but to present cosmic order on the canvas.
Dealing with mysteries of life and exploring meaning in the cosmic order is not an easy task. Ambadas has devoted himself to present this in his work, and it gives his work a universal appeal.
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