Over the course of his long career, the late JMS Mani experimented with several distinct mediums and styles. Exploring nature-based and gestural abstractions, etchings, in addition to his acrylic and oil paintings, the prolific artist is constantly evolving. ... From sketches in his early years to landscapes and impressionistic and surreal artworks, his repertoire also includes dazzling works made with watercolour, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture. Dealing extensively with physical spaces, creating archetypes of mountains, trees, monuments, boulders, and Hampi’s rocky landscapes, with which he has a continued fascination. Perhaps his most famous body of work, the Badami Series, depicts everyday life in the historical location of Badami in Karnataka, and features a varied cast from flower sellers and fruit vendors to girls in braids and street hawkers. By synthesising contemporary aesthetics and Western formalism with an Indian sensibility, he brings to life the vibrant colours of rural South India.

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