I am known for my realistic and abstract paintings, I tried to depict this aspect in my Paintings. The word architecture makes one think of buildings, monuments, and the like. But, I trying to explore the architecture of the mind, especially that of a woman’s. I also tried to show the plight of cows in Indian society through my paintings…

No matter how successful or busy a woman is, her world always revolves around her family. That is perhaps one of the many attributes that differentiate her from a man. Artist Devji Shrimali, who is known for his realistic and abstract paintings, has tried to depict this aspect in his Paintings. The word architecture makes one think of buildings, monuments, and the like. But, Shrimali is trying to explore the architecture of the mind, especially that of a woman’s. He has also tried to show the plight of cows in Indian society through his paintings.

And that works as a perfect palette for his artworks. “I have been working on this since 1994, and almost all my artworks depict this. For a woman, it is always her family which comes first, no matter how occupied she is in her daily routine. For some, their world is their family, and that’s what I have tried to depict,” says the Gujarat-based artist, who has also tried to show the plight of cows in the Indian society through his paintings.

In a career spanning over three decades, Shrimali has organized several exhibitions within the country as well as abroad. And in each of these exhibitions he has tried to convey a social or religious message through his paintings. What also makes his paintings so unique is the fact that he uses natural colors, which he makes from scratch. “It is quite a lengthy process. First, one needs to take mitti (mud) and mix water in it, after which it is kept for 15 days to dry. Once that is done, it is pounded to make a powder, which is finally mixed with water and used as paint. The paint is so good, that years later if one were to see the paintings, they would appear brand new,” he explains.

Devji Shrimali’s paintings are about exploring the architecture of the mind; women’s in particular. Women put their family on top above every other priority, regardless of how busy she is in their daily life. Family is everything for some, and this is exactly what his paintings depict.