Portrait of Pithpal Singh Ladi (1955-2023)

Artist Walter D’Souza (born 1957)

dated 1988, Woodcut Print
15.5 x 9 in. (39.4 x 22.9 cm.)

The compelling woodcut portrait of Prithpal Singh Ladi was created by his contemporary and fellow Baroda alumnus, printmaker Walter D’Souza. This work, with its bold, expressionistic lines, showcases the intensity and graphic power inherent in the woodcut medium, a characteristic favored by both artists.

Prithpal Singh Ladi was primarily a renowned Indian sculptor, celebrated for his pieces that skillfully blend eccentricity and a queer humor with elements of social commentary and realism. While sculpture was his main focus, he engaged in printmaking, exemplified by the stark realism and strong composition of works like the one provided. Ladi’s art often features condensed narratives using mechanical devices or realistic figures, moving effortlessly between the familiar and the fantastical.

Walter D’Souza is a distinguished Indian printmaker who received his MFA in Graphic Arts from M.S. University, Baroda. He is a master of the woodcut, a medium he describes as his “take-off point” for art. D’Souza is known for his large, powerful prints, where he often breaks with conventional print editions, treating each print as a unique piece. His work is technically masterful, often exploring themes related to the environment and the accumulation of possessions by “Man the settler.” D’Souza was also highly influential as an educator, notably establishing the printmaking studio at the Kanoria Centre for the Arts and CEPT University in Ahmedabad.