Artist Statement

An Endless Journey into Curiosity – Adil Mansuri
Born in 1936 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Gujarati is both my native language and mother tongue. I later learned Arabic, the language of the Quran, in a local Madrassa. The very same year of my birth, my Father performed the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. He was led by a Moallim (teacher), Syed Abdullah Ba'Faqih, who would later play a key role in my journey into curiosity.

In 1947, a country divided and become two and prompted my father's curiosity. The following year, in 1948, he embarked on a direct train to Karachi to discover opportunities in a newly born country. He settled there for 8 years with 10 children – 5 girls and 5 boys. Of those 10, I am the eldest amongst boys.

I began attending school in Karachi and a new language, Urdu, curiously entered my world. In 1952, My father's Moallim, Syed Abdullah Ba'Faqih visited us in Karachi and stayed with us. It was at this time that I would learn Calligraphy from him, and later on begin writing poems, especially Urdu Ghazals Several years later in 1955, having suffered a stroke and heart attack, my father returned to India and struggled to resettle in our native land.

After we returned to India, I continued writing, poems, and now plays – this time in Gujarati. I published several collections, many of which were well received and bestowed several awards. Around the same time, I spent time with Piraji Sagara and became inspired to experiment with art and oil paintings on canvas. This led to solo shows in Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai and Sansakar Kendra in Ahmedabad, sponsored by Sarabhai’s Darpan Academy.

1985 brought us new opportunities for curiosity with our migration to the United States. Settled in New Jersey, I participated in shows and poetry recital programs (mushaira) across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Middle East, and India.

The technological revolution has established itself as the essence of the the 21st Century. It has also sparked my curiosity, as these days, I engage in creating digital arts, as well as oil on canvas, and writing poetry. I am curious about shapes, colors, forms, light, horizon, time, language, scripts, and everyday I move ahead into curiosity, my endless journey.

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