Umakant Kanade’s paintings are a metaphor for the human condition. His strikingly intricate ink-on-canvas works meticulously depict the textures and nuances of natural forms. The sharp edges of rocks, the knots on a tree trunk, the minute feathers on a bird, are all delicately relayed in conscientious brush strokes. He sees his subjects as representative of abstract concepts–for instance, he thinks of the resilience and patience of stones, and muses on how the world might appear from their perspective. Kanade composes each of his scenes to appear like a clearing in a forest: viewers are invited through a frame of foliage to witness the subject of his works, in their natural habitat. His use of colour is judicious, but the layers of depth he creates in monochrome are a testament to the dexterity of his craft. Kanade’s work has been showcased in several solo exhibitions around the country, and also at the Creative Art Gallery in Dubai.