Born on 26 January 1975, Manojkumar M. Sakale is a contemporary Indian painter based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Raised in Nandre village near Sangli, Maharashtra, he pursued his early education in art at Kalavishwa Mahavidyalaya, Sangli, and later continued advanced studies in Fine Art at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune. He holds qualifications including A.T.D. (Art Teacher’s Diploma), G.D. Art (Government Diploma in Art), and Diploma in Art Education. Over the years, Sakale has established himself as a distinguished painter known for expressive portraiture, watercolor mastery, and representational art rooted deeply in Indian sensibilities.

He has received numerous prestigious awards and recognitions throughout his artistic journey. Among the major honours are the Gopal Deuskar All India Portrait First Award, Ahmednagar (2016), the Vasudeo Kamath Grand Prize by the Portrait Artist Group (2014), the Pandit Satwalekar Puraskar by Pandit Satwalekar Pratishthan (2013), and awards from the San Diego Watercolor Society (2010). He has also been repeatedly honoured by the Bombay Art Society and the Art Society of India across multiple years. Additional recognitions include the Bendre–Husain Scholarship, Camel Art Foundation Award, Lalibai Dharmdas Bambhani Scholarship, Panth Jambhalikar Puraskar, and awards from South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Maharashtra State Art Exhibition, Kalapushpa Group, and V. V. Oak Smruti Pratishthan.

Artworks have been presented in several important solo exhibitions across India. His solo exhibitions have been held at Jahangir Art Gallery in Mumbai across different years including 2005, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2025, and at Kismat Art Gallery, Colaba, Mumbai in 2026. Other solo presentations include exhibitions at Gallery Leela, Sahara Mumbai; Darpan Art Gallery, Pune; Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Worli; Art2Day Pune; and the “Istopdesh Gatha” exhibition at Hastinapur in 2024. His  participation in group exhibitions spans national and international platforms. Sakale represented his work in the Singapore Art Fair during 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He has also exhibited at Bajaj Art Gallery, Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery, Chitrakala Parishath Bengaluru, Goa Kala Academy, Ayatana Art Gallery Pune, Museum Gallery Mumbai, Nehru Centre Mumbai, Kala Ghoda Art Entrance, and Lalit Kala Centre Bhubaneswar.

Apart from exhibitions, Sakale has actively contributed to art education and public engagement through demonstrations, workshops, and lectures conducted across India. Between 2018 and 2023, he conducted numerous live demonstrations, workshops, and lectures for art institutions, colleges, schools, and social organizations. He has been associated with workshops at Bharat Bhavan Bhopal, Firodia Foundation Ahmednagar, Mahalsa Art School Mangaluru, Shree Kalaniketan Mysuru, Sai Art School Pune, Dalvi’s Art Institute Kolhapur, and Sir J. J. School of Art. His workshops have covered portraiture, landscape painting, watercolor techniques, and contemporary representational approaches.

Several of Sakale’s artworks are part of permanent collections and museum displays. In 2022, his portrait of Ramnath Kovind was displayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan. His spiritual painting collection “Istopdesh Gatha” is part of the Songadh Museum collection, while works related to Kund Kund Acharya are displayed at the Sammed Shikharji Museum, Jharkhand. His paintings are also associated with collections at Discovery of India, Worli Mumbai, and the Scientist Gallery at Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai. Alongside institutional collections, his works are held by numerous private collectors and art lovers in India and abroad.

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