Khaleel Aziz - The Work

The Work

It is rather difficult to work in a medium that requires both hard effort and ingenuity. Khaleel’s realistic reliefs on canvas – mostly landscapes and monuments (such as forts) – bear this out. Branch by branch, leaf by leaf, the trees and plants have to be created (out of marble powder and adhesive that keeps the marble relief on the canvas). Brick by brick, stone by stone the facts and palaces have to be built so that their semblance to the real thing is impressive and convincing at the same time.

Placed between sculpture and painting, reliefs are only (generally) partly three-dimensional. They have depth but no round about viewing. One could view them like any other painting, that is to say, from the front and these are hung from the gallery or drawing room walls just like paintings. However Khaleel’s relative (multi-colour) reliefs are not far away from painting. The scenic beauty of these landscapes is defined both terms of line and color. Yet as per the artist’s disposition, they have to remain in relief and is strongly realistic terms, wherein a building would look a building and a tree a tree.

His relief works retain and focus on all the qualities of the theme. The works have vast openings (the spatial element), vistas, horizontal and vertical spread, depth (often through a receding perspective) and frequently, a vanishing point, beyond which progress would not be possible and the eye is compelled to rise upwards and scan the sky. However, it is important to point out that apart from approach to color, there is much to be explored and admired in the artistic and painstaking details with which the foliage dotting and enlivening of landscapes take place.

He learnt his art and craft from his father Aziz who specialized in work on relief horses and forts. In his own words,

"...but for the artistic talent in my veins and the encouragement of his father, I would not have been able to take off from a firm platform which was high enough to launch me straightaway into this highly competitive world of art. Having taken off, I have been lucky to receive encouragement from institutional and reputed public figures, which has enabled him to focus ahead and experiment with varied themes and compositions. I owe my artistic maturing to continuous support and patronage afforded to my artwork by clientele which include army messes, official residences of eminent public figures and guesthouses of corporates and state-run corporations. The paintings done for Artillery Centre, Golconda, Hyderabad (A.P) afforded me to get away from under my father’s wings and venture out to exploit my potential, something which every young man would like to do."

He further says

"My professional span so far has been participation in several groups shows and holding of solo exhibitions of my works at Pune (1997) and Hyderabad (2000). Being at the exhibition site has enabled me to interact with other reputed artistes, connoisseurs of art and the public in general. This interaction has encouraged me to look more closely at my works for assessment and analysis. I deem that this is the only path for progressing one’s creative career. – I am indeed encouraged by enquiries and interest in my work by some foreign buyers as well. I was touched by a sentiment expressed by one of the connoisseurs of art, an eminent public figure that my landscaping makes the viewer a part of artwork."

He uses immense canvases for his work.

He has several solo exhibitions to his credit.