In a rare show, 20th-century artist Piraji Sagara’s ‘wood collages’ get a new lease of life

As artworks go, “paint on burnt wood” is not a medium that readily stirs the imagination. In lesser hands, the work could crumble under the weight of its own pretence. But executed with the finesse of Piraji Sagara, a hypnotic artwork of technical brilliance could be safely expected. 

In the 1980s, when most Indian artists were shuttling between figuration and abstraction on canvas, the late artist was busy hammering nails on to a burnt wooden board, carving it, adding bits and bobs of metallic paraphernalia. The experiments resulted in his signature “wood collages”. Despite being one of the highly original Indian artists of the 20th century, Sagara remains almost unknown to the public and obscure among art cognoscenti.

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In 1963, the renowned architect B.V. Doshi invited him to teach at Ahmedabad’s School of Architecture (now part of CEPT University), which Doshi had founded. Sagara taught there till the day he died, continuing to make art all along.

“I don’t think he was bothered about fame,” says Doshi over the phone. Doshi remembers him as a very silent person who was a great teacher. Later on, it was Sagara’s idea for an open art studio in Ahmedabad that inspired Urmila Kanoria to found the iconic Kanoria Centre for Arts in 1984Doshi believes his relative obscurity could be attributed to his total lack of interest in money matters. He made no serious attempts to exhibit or sell any of his works. A sale often depends on something more than the work’s own merit, like hobnobbing with influencers and a dash of savoir faire. Sagara cared little for all this. He would retreat to his studio and carry on with work, tinkering with “junk” materials. A simple man who lived frugally, Sagara prized solitude. “He was always absorbed in his own world,” recalls Doshi. He believes this ruminative disposition explains the sheer originality of his works.

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To end his reminiscences, Doshi strangely chooses a seemingly prosaic bit of information about Sagara’s life. “I want you to understand the most important thing about his life,” he says. “He was extremely fond of long-distance walks, he walked for miles every day,” he pauses. “In complete silence—contemplating and meditating.” 

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