Sohan Qadri 1932-2011

Sohan Qadri occupies a unique position in modern Indian art for his synthesis of spirituality, meditation, and abstraction. Born on 2 November 1932 in Chachoki, Punjab, into a prosperous farming family, Qadri’s artistic and philosophical outlook was profoundly shaped from an early age by encounters with spiritual teachers from both Tantric and Sufi traditions. Their teachings instilled in him a lifelong interest in meditation, mysticism, and the pursuit of inner transformation, themes that would later become central to his artistic practice.

Rejecting representational imagery early in his career, Qadri sought to create works that transcended the material world and evoked states of contemplation. His paintings and works on paper were deeply influenced by Eastern philosophies, particularly Tantra, and employed colour, rhythm, and repetition as vehicles for spiritual expression. Beginning in the 1970s, he developed his distinctive technique of working on handmade paper, puncturing, incising, dyeing, and embossing its surface to create richly textured compositions. His celebrated dot and incision-based works transformed paper into a sculptural medium, blurring the boundaries between painting, drawing, and relief.

After leaving India in the 1960s, Qadri travelled extensively before settling in Copenhagen, where he continued to paint, teach yoga, and exhibit internationally. Today, his works are held in major collections worldwide and are recognized for their meditative power, technical innovation, and profound spiritual depth.