True to the title of the painting exhibition ‘Lines of emotion: Nude expressions’, artist Kapil Mani Dixit has created lines that have been executed through his emotions.
In the exhibition which began on January 4 at Takpa Gallery, Lazimpat features stunning life sized expressive and surrealistic paintings. This is Kapil’s 19 th solo painting exhibition. In this exhibition, he has let himself reach the primitive era where the cave men used to create figurative art with pareidolia experience to express themselves or document what they experienced.
Until his 18th solo exhibition, Kapil was captivated by the purity of nudity, using nude figures as his primary motifs. This approach allowed him to detach from worldly distractions and appreciate the natural beauty of the human form in all its diverse shapes and sizes. His earlier works focused on gesture-based art, often created on brown paper and modest in scale.
Nevertheless, this exhibition also serves as a symbolic representation of human beings’ inner feelings and emotions, transcending the physical form to explore the depth of human expression.
In the exhibition
Kapil’s paintings in the exhibition, immediately draw the viewer in with their raw, almost primal energy. His technique is a fusion of expressionist boldness and minimalist restraint, resulting in a style that is as emotionally charged as it is visually captivating. At first glance, his works may seem chaotic, with swirling lines and layered textures, but closer inspection reveals an intricate deliberation behind every stroke.
His use of bold, black brushstrokes creates a striking contrast against his restrained, earthy palette. This choice of color reflects Kapil’s intent to strip away unnecessary distractions, allowing the emotions and forms to take center stage.
These elements are further enriched by the addition of doodled, almost erratic lines, which evoke a sense of vulnerability and unfiltered emotion. The interplay between precision and spontaneity is central to Kapil’s technique, as he balances careful structure with the freedom to let the art flow naturally.
Kapil’s unique artistic technique
A signature feature of his work is the symbolic depiction of eyes, which appear in almost every piece. These eyes, rendered in exaggerated forms, act as a lens into the emotional core of his subjects. “The eyes in my work aren’t just features,” Kapil has noted in conversations. “They are mirrors. They reflect everything we hide but also everything we are.”
By placing eyes in unexpected locations—on hands, torsos, or blending with abstract shapes—Kapil challenges the traditional boundaries of portraiture, inviting viewers to see emotions not just on the face but imprinted across the entire human form.
His use of distortion and fragmentation also speaks to a deeper philosophy. Kapil deliberately manipulates proportions, exaggerating certain features while diminishing others, to emphasize the emotional weight carried by different parts of the body. Hands, for instance, are often depicted as oversized or tangled, symbolizing both creation and the burdens we carry. This technique underscores his view of the body as more than a physical structure—it becomes a vessel for emotions, experiences, and identity.
Kapil’s inclusion of animals within his compositions is another defining element. These creatures are not decorative but metaphorical, representing humanity’s instinctual, animalistic nature. Through these depictions, he reminds us of the raw, primal connection between humans and the rest of the natural world, stripping away societal constructs to reveal shared vulnerabilities and truths.
The textured layers in Kapil’s work—created through a combination of bold brushstrokes, fine lines, and smudged contours—add to the depth and complexity of his pieces. This layering technique allows his paintings to transform with each viewing. What might seem chaotic at first gradually reveals itself as deeply intentional, mirroring the layered complexity of human emotion.
Through his unique approach, Kapil has established a voice that is unmistakably his own. His technique challenges the viewer not just to look, but to feel—to confront their own vulnerabilities and reflect on the universal truths embedded in his art.
In a world that often feels saturated with noise and superficiality, Kapil’s art reminds us of the beauty of simplicity and the power of truth. Through his nude expressions, he lays bare not just his subjects, but a part of himself—and, in doing so, invites us to do the same.
The exhibition continues till February 1 and the gallery is closed on Mondays.
