THE paintings of a multi award-winning artist will be shown at an exhibition which opens this weekend.

The art of Shanti Panchal is set to bring the flavour and warmth of India to Maldon’s Hayletts Gallery from this Saturday until November 16.

Panchal is a leading London-based Indian artist who won the 1991 National Portrait Gallery/BP Portrait Award, was artist-in-residence at the National Gallery in London in 1994, and was a 2003 nominee for the UK Asian Achievers Awards.

Born in 1951 in Mesar in the state of Gujarat, Panchal studied at the JJ School of Art in Mumbai where he also worked on a fellowship for a year.

Further study at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London on a British Council scholarship directed his future track, which included a stint as artist-in-residence at the British Museum in London.

A spokesman said: “For over 30 years Panchal has worked solely in watercolour.

“Not prepared to accept the conventional limits, he pushes the boundaries of his medium, developing a unique way of using watercolour that is close to the art of fresco, building layer upon layer almost in a meditative state of being.

“Many of Panchal’s paintings include graceful figures with large dark soulful eyes illustrating a personal vision suspended in time taking on an almost mythological atmosphere.

“In each of the images he creates a quiet place in the world, literally illuminating the everyday until it is full of beauty.

“He creates an intimacy which draws us closer to another culture and reminds us of our common human spirit.”

Other highlights in his career include being invited as an honorary member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 2017 and being shortlisted for Portrait Artist of the Year by Sky Television in 2018.

The gallery is open from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday. For more details, visit haylettsgallery.com or call 01621 851669.