Nagji Patel

Nagji Patel's sculptures provided glimpses into his

childhood memories through his use of seeds,
deities, and animals.
Born in Gujarat to a family of farmers, he grew up
making clay toys as part of playing with village
children. He joined the painting course at Faculty of
Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, but eventually
switched to sculpture, which he found less daunting
than painting. He obtained an M.F.A. in sculpture in
1964 and in the same year won a travelling
scholarship from the Government of India, which
allowed him to visit quarries across the country and
interact with stone carvers.
A unique characteristic of Patel’s sculptures is his
part-polished, part-rough aspects of stone, inspired
by historical sculptures at Badami and
Mahabalipuram where some parts have acquired a
polished feel due to centuries of being touched by
people’s hands, while the rest of the work remains
in its natural state.
Carving was Patel’s preferred process as he
enjoyed the sensuousness of marble, the warmth of
sandstone, and the tactile texture of granite and
wood. To his printmaking too, Patel brought a
sculptural effect.
He won many honours, such as the Gujarat state award in
1962-64, the Lalit Kala Akademi national award in 1976,
the Gaurav Puraskar in 1997, and Aditya Vikram Birla
Kala Shikhar Puraskar in 2011. His sculptures are
installed at Seoul Olympic Park, Korea, Arandjelovac,
Serbia, the Noguchi Museum in Japan, and several
places in Baroda, where he built his career.
He passed away on 17 December 2017.
An Indian Modernist sculptor known for his use of marble,
stone carving and large outdoor works, Nagji Patel was
born in a family of farmers at Juni Jithardi near the city of
Karjan in Baroda (now Vadodara).
Patel studied sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts,
Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara and was
granted a government scholarship to study further.
He travelled extensively across India, visiting different
stone quarries and meeting masons and sculptors.
He organised numerous sculpture symposiums to
initiate a dialogue on global practices and techniques.
Another reason being that he made very little money
with his sculptures and had to support himself
through sculpture symposiums throughout his life.
Patel was inspired by the monumental quality,
simplicity and objectivity of Romanian sculptor
Constantin Brancusi’s work. Patel found his subjects
in simple motifs and everyday life around him and
preferred stone as his medium, especially pink, white
and black marble and, at times, red and yellow
sandstone.
[Link]
Sandstone, 16.5 x 26 x 6 inches, 2007
 [Link]
Sandstone, 16.5 x 26 x 6 inches, 2007

Presently I am involved in making sculptures of

environmental situations and forms, something on
the theme of water tanks. Looking at them, you
might want to climb the steps to reach a place to sit
near the water or walk by the side of the tank or
you may even want to enter the water. The
sculptures might indicate a place from where you
would jump into the water, or suggest another point
for animals to enter into it. They would be
sculptures where the inside and outside spaces
are related. These sculptures are as yet designed
on a modest scale about 4 feet in width, but you
could think of them on a larger scale. I don't want
them to look like swimming pools. Though, they
may have architectural elements, but they should
remain sculpture. 1 thought of these sculptures
when I was in Japan, where I spent a lot of time by
the lakes.
[Link]
year 2006
size 16.5 x 15.0 x 9.5 in. / 41.9 x 38.1 x 24.1 cm.
medium Bronze
[Link]
year 2006
size 16.5 x 15.0 x 9.5 in. / 41.9 x 38.1 x 24.1 cm.
medium Bronze

Nagji Patel challenged the viewer’s ability to

accurately interpret his sculptures with several
possibilities or outcomes, none of which was
right or wrong. Having transitioned from playing
with clay at home to studying sculpture at art
school—he studied at M. S. University, Baroda—
he liked to extend his, and the viewer’s, ability to
see different things simultaneously, even
contrarily. This became a constant factor in
Patel’s work, whatever its medium or scale, and
this bronze sculpture of an abstract head, which
could be of a woman or an animal, is an example
of that.
[Link]
year :2003
size:12.5 x 5.0 x 8.5 in. / 31.8 x 12.7 x 21.6 cm.
medium :Marble
[Link]
YEAR
2003
SIZE
12.5 x 5.0 x 8.5 in. / 31.8 x 12.7 x 21.6 cm.
MEDIUM
Marble
Nagji Patel was trained in sculpture by one of
the finest in the genres, Sankho Chaudhuri, and
it was through this learning that Patel adopted
an innovation to create works of a magical
quality. Patel’s sculptures were carved from a
high level of passion that revealed, both the
ruggedness of the stone as well as its
smoothness that allowed for a rare but
evocative synergy. His imagination and physical
rigour in sculpting his forms remained grounded
in a rural sensibility as revealed in this Untitled
sculpture.
[Link] illustrious Banyan Tree sculpture by
Nagji Patel
[Link] illustrious Banyan Tree sculpture by Nagji
Patel

The smile on his face was the smile that

hoodwinked the hurts that he faced in his personal
as well as artistic life. He loved stone so much
because he could carve his pain making the right
incision on them. And Nagji Bhai perfected the art
of incision; the sharp cut that would bring the
sculpture out of the cocoons of stones. I remember
the days of lying down under the Banyan Tree,
staring at the silver sky with my vacant eyes.
Fatehganj was the one that you see today.
Whenever I felt lonely, I went to this sculpture and
sought shelter under the shade of it; surprisingly
never thinking of its possible connection to
enlightenment other than going by the out layer of
meaning that Baroda had derived its name from
Vad Vrukshas (Banyan Trees). This sculpture had
defined Baroda in those days. The opening shot, a
panoramic one with Kaki’s chai lari and
cosmopolitan restaurant where the legends said
biriyani was served.
[Link] sculpture - Abacus
Stone, 78.7 x 59 x 19.7 inches, 1999
[Link] sculpture - Abacus
Stone, 78.7 x 59 x 19.7 inches, 1999

Among childhood memories of sculpture, I

remember icons of Mahadev, Baliadev, Hanuman,
Verai Mata, etc. in the shrines. Mostly, of stone. At
school, we were made to do clay modeling. The
teacher asked us to make cubes, spheres and
pyramids

But there was more of play than work during those

days. Plenty of fun bringing lumps of clay and
making little shapes like chula (fire place), a kothi
(granary) etc. Sometimes, mother would tell us to
make a bullock, a camel, a horse and at times she
too would join in making clay animals. They were
left on the roof to dry before we played with them.
No colour. We even made a form like a farm in
which we put bullocks, then we would pull the toy to
take the bullocks to drink water at the tank. At times,
we also made shapes of vegetables like parval,
karela, etc. or implements of agriculture both in clay
or with straw, reed and wooden sticks.
 Sometimes from stems of Jawar plant we made
little carts. I do not know how we learnt to make
these but if I remember right, elders of the family
often guided us. There were carpenters in the
village who made little wooden dolls and brought
them for children. Payment was in cash or with
grains. I still have some of these dolls. Other forms
of wood included agricultural implements, the
bullock carts, wooden cots etc. I also remember
having seen a little wooden box for keeping paan,
tambaku or bidi. There were ironsmiths who made
sickles, ploughs, axes, etc. Among the stone
masons I remember the artisan who came to repair
the wheel of grinding mill. So there wasn't much
sculpture but lots of sculptural forms. Mostly of the
type we played with. Especially, the animal toys.
Occasionally, we would make holes into clay
animal, right across its body, and pour water over it
after it dried and watch water coming out from the
other end and shout, see the camel is peeing!
[Link]
size:84.5 x 15.2 x 51.5 in. / 214.6 x 38.6 x
130.8 cm.
medium:Wood, stone, bronze and nylon
[Link]
SIZE
84.5 x 15.2 x 51.5 in. / 214.6 x 38.6 x 130.8 cm.
MEDIUM
Wood, stone, bronze and nylon
Nagji Patel studied painting for his bachelor’s at
M. S. University, Baroda, but shifted to sculpture
for his master’s and remained a sculptor
throughout his life. It is the texturality of the
medium that he worked on, enjoying it most when
accentuating it with carving; many examples of his
works can be seen in public places in India and
abroad. This also helped him combine different
media to create works such as this Untitled one,
where the texturality itself graded with change in
medium from end of the work to the other.
Enquire
[Link] – Yellow Marble with Black Stone
Inlays and Twine (2017)
Material: Yellow Marble, Black Stone Inlays,
Natural Twine
Dimensions: Approx. 16 x 10 x 10 inches
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2017
[Link] – Yellow Marble with Black Stone Inlays and
Twine (2017)
Material: Yellow Marble, Black Stone Inlays, Natural
Twine
Dimensions: Approx. 16 x 10 x 10 inches
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2017
The sculpture itself is abstract but suggests the outline
of a torso, organ, or cocoon. Its verticality and slight
bulges imply inner life—something breathing or
pulsating under pressure. The form is asymmetrical,
weighted more to one side, creating a subtle lean that
evokes vulnerability.
The rope, meanwhile, visually slices the piece into
halves or segments, like an external force trying to
divide or suppress. At some points, the rope appears to
compress the marble, as if tightening the sculpture’s
breath. The sense of inner struggle is palpable.
This form invites a variety of interpretations:
As a human body under emotional or societal pressure
As a captive seed or idea, constrained before growth
As a political metaphor—bound identities, colonial
residues, forced divisions
Yet, despite the tension, the sculpture doesn’t break—it
holds. It endures. It becomes a monument to resilience.
It is easy to imagine this as an expression of:
Internal struggle
Spiritual discipline
Social suffocation
Gendered pain or silence
It carries the energy of a silent protest—refined, but
unyielding. Like a tightly coiled poem, its emotions are
compressed, but never lost.
This untitled yellow marble sculpture by Nagji Patel
is a masterclass in sculptural storytelling. Without
words or literal forms, it speaks of being bound and
being alive. It offers a tactile and psychological
experience that forces the viewer into
contemplation and response.
It is, in many ways, the sculptural equivalent of a
contemporary Indian poem—dense, layered,
textured, and intensely human. Patel’s commitment
to truth, material honesty, and emotional relevance
is distilled beautifully here.
Through this work, he reminds us that form is not
always free, but even under pressure, it can remain
dignified, expressive, and enduring
[Link] Analysis of "Temple" (2007) by Nagji Patel
Medium: Marble and Metal
Dimensions: 25 x 11.5 x 11 in
Year: 2007
[Link] Analysis of "Temple" (2007) by Nagji Patel
Medium: Marble and Metal
Dimensions: 25 x 11.5 x 11 in
Year: 2007

The sculpture’s title, “Temple”, gives us a direct entry

point to its conceptual framework. In Indian tradition, a
temple is not just a building; it is a microcosm of the
universe, a sacred dwelling for divinity, and a vessel for
spiritual transformation. This sculpture does not attempt
to recreate the elaborate architecture of a temple but
instead abstracts the very idea of one—its sanctity, its
geometry, its interplay of outer shell and inner secret.

The marble form represents the sacred prasada (outer

structure), embodying the eternal, immovable truth of
existence. The inner chamber—cut with geometric
precision—evokes the garbha griha, the womb-
chamber that houses the divine presence. Inside it, the
metal element becomes a metaphor for life, energy, or
soul. Its branch-like or flame-like shape is open to
interpretation: it may suggest a plant rooted in sacred
ground, or a shakti (energy form) arising from stillness.
Patel’s abstraction compels the viewer to
contemplate rather than decode. By avoiding
figuration, he opens the sculpture to multiple layers
of meaning. The piece does not offer direct
iconography—it suggests rather than states. This is
especially powerful in the context of Indian spiritual
art, where the divine is often evoked through
symbols, not depictions.

Nagji Patel’s Temple is not just a sculpture—it is an

invitation. It invites the viewer into a silent
conversation between form and void, matter and
spirit, tradition and innovation. Through its refined
use of materials and deeply symbolic structure, it
transcends objecthood and becomes a metaphor
for spiritual architecture—one that lives not in stone
buildings but in consciousness itself.

This work captures the very soul of Patel’s practice:

a devotion to form, a reverence for the sacred, and
a modernist’s courage to explore the ineffable
through minimal gesture. In an age of noise and
spectacle, Temple stands as a monument to
stillness, subtlety, and inner truth.
[Link] – Multicolored Abstract Marble Form (2015)
Material: Marble (Black, Yellow, and White veins)
Dimensions: Small/Medium (Tabletop scale)
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2015
[Link] – Multicolored Abstract Marble Form (2015)
Material: Marble (Black, Yellow, and White veins)
Dimensions: Small/Medium (Tabletop scale)
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2015

What’s truly unique about this sculpture is how it

uses color within stone as a visual language — the
interplay of black, yellow, and white veining
transforms the stone into something living, reactive,
and emotional. It’s not just a carved object; it’s an
experience in motion, balance, and transformation.

The looping shape can be read in numerous ways:

As an embrace, suggesting connection or unity

As a wave, symbolizing the flow of time or
consciousness
As a bird with wings tucked inward, indicating
protection or introspection
Even as a Yin-Yang abstraction, with light and dark
continuously circling
Patel leaves the form intentionally open-ended,
allowing each viewer to bring their own symbolism
to it. This speaks to the artist’s respect for individual
perception — he believed that art should be a
mirror, not a directive.
Marble as Memory
Marble has long been used in Indian and Western
traditions as a symbol of permanence, refinement, and
beauty. In Indian culture, it is associated with both spiritual
monuments (e.g., Jain temples, Mughal tombs) and
aesthetic luxury.
By choosing a richly veined marble, Patel isn’t simply
using stone for its durability — he is using it for its inherent
natural narrative. The veining in the marble serves as a
kind of geological memory — the history of earth
processes, frozen in a visual record. In carving the marble,
Patel is not dominating the material; rather, he is revealing
what’s already there.
The final result is a dialogue between human hand and
natural time — sculpture as a collaboration between artist
and earth.
Nagji Patel’s 2015 marble sculpture is a gem of
sculptural abstraction — elegant in form, profound in
implication. It belongs to a lineage of quiet modernism,
where art doesn’t shout but instead whispers timeless
truths through form, material, and movement.
In this piece, Patel sculpts not just stone but experience
— an abstract embodiment of duality, memory, and
balance. For the critical eye, this offers a rich terrain: a
minimalist visual anchored by maximal philosophical
potential.
[Link] 3 – Granite Sculpture (2016)
Material: Granite
Dimensions: Approx. 13 x 12 x 8 inches
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2016
[Link] 3 – Granite Sculpture (2016)
Material: Granite
Dimensions: Approx. 13 x 12 x 8 inches
Artist: Nagji Patel
Year: 2016

Unlike marble, which invites fluidity, granite is

unyielding—much like the real animals it seeks to
embody: tough, resilient, simple.
The surface is deliberately left rough, evoking the
weathered texture of stone idols or the calloused
hides of domestic animals. This rawness
emphasizes the earthly nature of the subject—there
is no romantic gloss, no beautification. It is as if
Patel wants us to feel the reality of these beings, not
through decorative refinement but through truthful
tactility.

Furthermore, India’s folk and tribal art traditions

have long included simplified animal forms—seen
in clay toys, wooden figurines, and terracotta icons.
This sculpture pays homage to that visual
language, modernizing it through scale and material
while retaining its soulful directness.
Nagji Patel’s Animal 3 is a powerful statement in
quiet abstraction. In it, we find the echoes of
childhood, village life, animal companionship, and
philosophical stillness—all distilled into a modest,
granite form.

It is sculpture at its most honest—nothing flashy,

nothing excessive, only presence and memory. In a
world where spectacle often dominates
contemporary art, Animal 3 reminds us that some of
the most moving works whisper, rather than shout.

This sculpture stands as a testament to Patel’s

lifelong respect for the land, its beings, and the
quiet rituals of living. It embodies what critical writer
John Berger once called “the tenderness of the
animal gaze”—a way of seeing and being that is
truthful, wordless, and eternal.
 Bibliography

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