Ajay Chavan
Coloring the Unspoken: An Artist’s Journey from Advertising to Abstraction

From the vibrant streets of Bombay to the serene art studios of Bangalore, Ajay Chavan’s journey is one of creative transformation. A former advertising creative director turned full-time artist, Chavan is celebrated for his distinctive visual language that seamlessly fuses ancient influences with contemporary expression.

His signature technique—known as “scraping”—is both metaphor and method: layers of paint are applied, then partially removed to reveal bursts of color and texture beneath the surface. The result is work that feels both archaeological and instinctive, as if each canvas uncovers something forgotten, hidden, or deeply personal.

Chavan’s art oscillates between the abstract and the figurative. In one moment, he breathes color into prehistoric symbols and tribal forms; in the next, he captures the quiet intensity of a black-and-white musician lost in sound. His influences span cultures and centuries—Mexican and African masks, ancient scripts, European modernists like Pollock and Kandinsky—yet his voice remains singular.

Educated at Mumbai’s prestigious Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art and mentored by renowned Indian artist A.A. Almelkar, Chavan draws from a classical foundation but resists tradition. His creative ethos, shaped by decades in advertising, celebrates risk and imperfection. “To live a creative life,” he says, “you must lose your fear of being wrong.”

This belief echoes through every brushstroke and medium he touches—whether in large-scale abstractions or quiet figurative studies. His work has been exhibited widely across India in both solo and group exhibitions, with recent shows titled “Different Strokes” highlighting the eclectic nature of his evolving portfolio.

As Chavan prepares for his upcoming black-and-white series debuting in Mumbai in 2025, he envisions a broader canvas. He dreams of collaborations with African artists, of exhibiting in snowy landscapes where his colors might bring warmth, and of creating affordable art to inspire a new generation of collectors in India.

For Ajay Chavan, art is both personal ritual and public offering—a way to translate emotion, memory, and movement into color and form. His work invites the viewer to look closer, and perhaps, to uncover something within themselves.

Explore more of his work at: www.artisajay.com