I,  Manojkumar Mahaveer Sakale, was born in 1975, at Nandre, a small village near Sangali in Maharashtra, India. After finishing schooling in the village, I studied painting at Kalavishwa Mahavidyalaya, Sangali. Later on I studied further in the field of fine art at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya at Pune.

In the initial stages only, Representational Art got deep rooted in my being. After completing formal studies in 1997, for some period, I worked in the Academic style and created Landscapes, still life and portraits. Portrait painting is my favorite subject and my profession also. I received many awards right from my student life from various Art Institutions and Art Societies in India.

Then I started painting village characters in watercolor and oil. While doing this, the space division and a different approach to composition started getting importance in my paintings. The experimentation of using the medium to bring about the beauty was also one of the prime concerns in the creations of that time. The cultural characters of Maharashtra which has a rich and esthetic heritage, are now getting extinct .They have appealed me to paint them relentlessly. These paintings fetched me again many awards in Professional category.

In 2005, I had a solo exhibition of my paintings at the prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, This initiated a new phase of my life. My childhood was nurtured by the simple joys of village life and these blissful moments reflected in my paintings of this era. I created many paintings on the questions, gaiety and life of the childhood. In my this series, I used as collage, photographs and titles of newspapers as symbols to get different textural quality. Through these paintings, I tried to make statement about the philosophy of Life. One of the painting was awarded by the Camlin Art Foundation and I was selected for the prestigious Euro Art Tour which brought me an in -depth study of the actual paintings of the Western Masters. Simultaneously, The Bombay Art Society awarded me the prestigious Bendre Hussain Scholarship. This style acclaimed awards from many other Art Institutions. I have given many demonstrations, have also conducted workshops in Art Institutions and Art Colleges in Maharashtra and Gujarat. My Paintings are in collection of various art connoisseurs in India and abroad.

At present, established in Mumbai, the main hub of art world, I am still working on the same subject to emphasize the different perspectives of the educational and other aspects of urban and rural childhood. I emphasize to lighten the weight of this subject with gleeful rendering, with the use of newspaper and other elements as the subject related devices.

Many exhibitions have taken place. Still, this subject inspires the artist and the child within me to explore in depth the Subject and innovate techniques to render the same.

The surroundings, the happenings knowingly or unknowingly are observed, absorbed and adapted as also reflected, re- presented or re-created in the creative pursuit of Artist. Any Artist can not escape this reality of interrelation, interdependence and/ or interaction with Society. Manojkumar Sakale is one such artist who acknowledges this reality through his paintings. His responses to the childhood feelings, experiences, reactions and dreams are re-presented as an observer, without falling prey to the nostalgia His paintings converse with viewers at various levels with multiple connotations. The paintings are rendered in his unique style with the drawing kept as an integral part of the painting. His representations of kids in different moods, in different actions with different expressions are not mere representations but at subtle level, are STATEMENTS of life with all its joy, sorrow, frustration, problems and a kind of playfulness inevitable of that period. Simplicity and directness enhances the artistique (the quality of Art combined with techniques) and in no way bargains with the intention of the Artist, to be precise, to be direct and to engross the viewer. It has an appeal to touch all at many levels.

QUALIFICATION
A. T. D. (Art Teacher’s Diploma) G. D. ART (Government Diploma in Art)
Dip. A. Ed. (Diploma in Art Education)

MAJOR AWARDS
2016 – Gopal Deuskar All India Portrait First Award, Ahamadnagar
2016, 2015, 2012, 2007, 1997 – Bombay Art Society
2015 – Lalibai Dhramdas Bambhani Scholarship, Bombay Art Society
2014 – Portrait Artist Group VAsudeo Kamath Grand Prize
2013 – Pandit Satwalekar Puraskar By Pandit Satwalekar Pratishthan, Pune
2010 – The San Diego Watercolour Society, USA
2010 – Panth Jambhalikar Puraskar By Kalapushpa, Sangli
2008 – Euro-tour, Camel Art Foundation
2008 – Bendre-Husain Scholarship
2007 – Camel Art Foundation
2003, 2001 – Chitari Art Foundation
2009, 2003, 1999, 1997 – Art Society Of India
1997, 1996 – South – Central Zone,Nagpur
1996 – Maharashtra State Art Exhibition
1995 – Kalavishwa Mahavidyalaya, Sangli
1996, 1995, 1994 – Kalapushpa Group, Sangli
2000, 1999, 1994 – V.V.Oak Smruti Pratishthan, Pune

SOLO EXHIBITION
2024 – Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2018 – Art 2 day Gallery, pune
2018 – Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2014 – Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2014 – Darpan Art Gallery, Pune
2007, 2002,2001- Gallery Leela, Sahara Mumbai
2005 – Art Society of India Mumbai
2005 – Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2001 – Nehru Center Art Gallery, Warli Mumbai

GROUP EXHIBITION
2017,2018- Government treble art Museum, Bhopal,
2017- chitrakala parishad, Bangloru,
2016 – Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai
2013 – Ayatana Art Gallery, Pune
2012, 2013 , 2015, 1016– Singapore Art Fair
2012 – Goa Kala Academy
2010 – Jahangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2009 – Art Entrance, Kalaghoda, Mumbai
2007, 1999, 1998,1996 – Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2005 – Museum Gallery, Mumbai
2003 – Maratha Samaj, Sangli.
1997 – Lallitkala Center Bhuvaneshwar (Orissa)

DEMONSTRATION & WORKSHOPS
2019 , 2018 – portrait workshop indigo mustard project, Pavai, Mumbai.
2017, 2004, 1997- Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya Pune
2016, 2015 – portrait artist group
2018 – Art Collage, khandwa.
2014 – Mahalsa art school, Mangaloru, shreekalaniketan, mysore.
2013 ,2017,2018- Government treble art Museum, Bhopal,
2012- Sai Art school, Pune