Praveen Kumar is known for his unusual cityscapes, composed of enigmatic architectural forms that are characters in their own right. Far from focusing on architectural landmarks or heritage spaces, his abstract renditions of urban spaces are luminous and stirring representations that transform the grey of cities, lighting it up with colour, light and texture. Using an assortment of media (oil, acrylic, pen and ink), an edgy, contemporary aesthetic and elegant geometric configurations, Kumar animates seemingly lifeless brick and mortar structures to emote and reveal the heart of the teeming metropolis.... He also manages in his pursuit, through his skillful use of lines and colour, to successfully translate the pace of cities – the bustle, the chatter, chaos, and the stillness – into his two dimensional paintings and present them as metaphors for the human condition. Kumar conceives of cities as living, breathing and evolving organisms. He sees vivid flashes of their unique personas in their shape-shifting skylines, crowded suburbs, rooftops and balconies and ever-growing urban agglomerations. “I view my city through its rising and falling infrastructure. For me, the skin of the city is in its buildings; stable and wobbly structures; stirring and emoting edifices. Through its architecture, the city reveals its dreams, memories, vision and destiny,” the artist explains.

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