Praneet Soi
Falling Figure
2018
Silverpoint and Acrylic on Linen
170×140 cm
Born in 1971, Praneet Soi completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University, Baroda, in 1994 and 1996 respectively, before obtaining another Master’s degree from the University of California in San Diego in 2001. Soi has also completed courses at the Empire Academy of Visual Arts in Amsterdam. Soi’s paintings and sculptural works usually deal with trauma in various forms. The artist generally paints grim pictures using an almost monochromatic palette of greys. His paintings are flat and sparse, and the dark backgrounds frequently overwhelm the subjects, spelling a troublesome fate. Along with the colour scheme, the figures themselves seem to demonstrate great despair, giving the artist’s works an eerie feel. In his ‘Disasters of War’ series, for example, Soi explores media-dispersed images of war and unrest from around the world. Falling figures, figures holding heads in despair, and beheaded figures feature prominently in these works. Soi was nominated for the Prix de Rome in 2005, and was invited by the Dutch Ministry of Finance to submit a design for a commemorative coin celebrating the 50 year Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. His solo shows include ‘Juggernaut’ at Project 88, Mumbai,in 2008, and Galerie Martin Van Zomeren, Amsterdam, in 2007; ‘Face to Face’ at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 2006; and ‘Northern Wind’ at Galerie Martin Van Zomeren, Amsterdam, in 2005. Soi lives and works between Amsterdam and Kolkata.
Courtesy of saffronart.com, architecturaldigest.in