The works of Andrew Paul were included in the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and the Arts in 2016. His painting, ‘Mighty My Saviour’ was listed below one by the famous MF Husain. Another of his works, ‘Redemption’, is also the cover of a book written by Canada-based prominent Indian professor, Clara Joseph. But actually he does not want to talk about these achievements.

Again, there are some incredible stories. Like how a random Facebook post of his paintings, which he did to get a few likes, landed him his buyer: a psychology professor in the US, who called his paintings a “drug”. Andrew shows the professor’s texts, who had multiple sclerosis.

On another similarly serendipitous occasion, he told his sister, “Some day some rich man will buy my paintings.” She laughed. After some time, Indian billionaire Ajay Kalsi brought his painting.

“I hadn’t heard of the book Mystery, But I always felt I revealed things,” he says.

He narrates these stories during a short tour of his latest exhibition, Transcending Surfaces, at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad on a cloudy Thursday evening. This will be his last solo exhibition in India before moving to London this year.

However, Andrew is more excited to discuss his actions than anecdotes and achievements. He says this is what matters most to him.

His abstract paintings are not easily available. One of his works in Transcending Surfaces, ‘Memory of the Pandemic’, consists of vertical frames of red paper with horizontal scratches.

“These works on paper were carefully created during a period of personal anxiety,” explains Andrew, “as the pandemic locked me down, preventing me from returning to London. The news was filled with death, including the death of a close friend’s father-in-law due to COVID-19 and its complications.

“Every night, as a way to cope, I did a disciplined ritual. I took a piece of paper previously dyed red (red represents flesh and its various interpretations – not just pain or suffering) and carefully scored a mark on its surface with a surgical blade. This act appeared to be similar to that of prisoners marking time in the absence of a calendar. We had calendars, but the end date of the pandemic remained unknown.”

While this may sound didactic, Andrew believes his artistic process is different.

“Both clinically and from my own perspective, which is abstract, you can’t completely control the outcome. However, in therapeutic art, you immediately express whatever is inside you, without having much control over the process. It’s like an explosion, whereas my process involves some calculations. I plan the tools and techniques, but the end result is always a surprise.”

Transcending Surfaces attempts to create a journey beyond the bounds of a traditional art exhibition. Andrew transforms the gallery space into a portal of visual contemplation through the interplay of large-scale paintings, video essays and found objects. Marked by diverse styles, his works highlight the themes of time, impermanence and the fleeting moments that shape our existence.

For Andrew, the idea of ​​art is about challenging how we Look, “The exploration of my practice is about questioning and deconstructing ways of ‘seeing’,” he says, “through conversation and interaction through a painting, a photograph, a drawing or a film. From.” He begins with a visual symphony of color and texture, gradually building layers that turn into evocative imagery. Materials are carefully selected by the artist, each chosen for its textural qualities and the unique sensory experience it creates.

That’s why Andrew requests – no, insists – that viewers not take photos of his paintings with their phones. “We are increasingly becoming a society that prefers recording over experiences. Just come, spend some time with the painting, engage with it and see what it says to you,” he says.

“Don’t just look, listen with your eyes.”

Transcending Surfaces by Andrew Paul will be on display at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad till May 15, Gallery 1 and 2, 10.30 am to 7 pm.