J M S Mani

JMS Mani is a highly acclaimed artist. Mani began learning art in 1974 at Kuvempu Kala Sanstha Ken School of Art, under the tutelage of the school’s founder, RM Hadapad. With whom he developed a deep-rooted bond that influenced his art tremendously. Mani has held solo exhibitions in India, Singapore, London, New York, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Mani has had 19 shows across India and in London. Mani has participated in 43 group shows, such as the “SAARC Exhibition” at the Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore and the Bharat Bhavan International Biennale of Prints in 1989. Mani was a recipient of the “Lalit Kala Academy Award” in 1981 and 1983 and recipient of the “Karnataka State Award” in 2006.

Figurative art, as opposed to abstract art, retains features from the observable world in its representational depictions of subject matter. Most commonly, figurative paintings reference and explore the human body, but they can also include landscapes, architecture, plants and animals — all portrayed with realism.

While the oldest figurative art dates back tens of thousands of years to cave wall paintings, figurative works made from observation became especially prominent in the early Renaissance. Artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance masters created naturalistic representations of their subjects.

Pablo Picasso is lauded for laying the foundation for modern figurative art in the 1920s. Although abstracted, this work held a strong connection to representing people and other subjects. Other famous figurative artists include Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud. Figurative art in the 20th century would span such diverse genres as Expressionism, Pop art and Surrealism.

Today, a number of figural artists — such as Sedrick Huckaby, Daisy Patton and Eileen Cooper — are making art that uses the human body as its subject.

Because figurative art represents subjects from the real world, natural colors are common in these paintings. A piece of figurative art can be an exciting starting point for setting a tone and creating a color palette in a room.

Browse an extensive collection of figurative paintings on 1stDibs.