Portrait of Bhupen Khakhar (1934 – 2003)

Artist Veer Munshi (born 1955)

dated 2004, Oil on canvas
69 x 48 in. (175.3 x 121.9 cm.)

This evocative painting, titled “How Much Colour I Left Behind” (2004), is a deeply personal tribute by the artist Veer Munshi to the late legendary artist Bhupen Khakhar, one of India’s most influential modern painters. Munshi captures Khakhar from behind, standing before a large canvas, in the act of painting one of his most iconic images—“Man Eating Jalebi.” This meta-representation merges memory, homage, and artistic reflection. The floor is scattered with paint buckets, brushes, and tubes, symbolizing the creative residue and legacy Khakhar left behind.

Bhupen Khakhar, a self-taught artist and a key figure of the Baroda School, is celebrated for his bold, figurative style and unapologetic exploration of queer identity, middle-class life, and Indian urbanity. His work blends Indian miniature traditions with pop-art sensibilities and often contains autobiographical elements. “Man Eating Jalebi” is a tender, humorous, and iconic painting that reflects his unique ability to infuse the mundane with intimacy and meaning.

Veer Munshi, a Kashmiri artist known for politically charged works that reflect on exile and identity, steps into a more personal realm with this tribute. By depicting Khakhar mid-creation, Munshi not only honors the artist’s memory but underscores the enduring power of color, creativity, and artistic dialogue across generations.