Sandeep Mani

Hi! Welcome to my website

I have been painting since the age of six, maybe earlier.

1958: I was awarded Shanker's prize for watercolors. It was common in those days that the prime minister did the honors of prize distribution.

1960-66: In those days my dream had always been to be a film-hoarding painter. We lived in Daryaganj, a colony within the walled city of Delhi, where there were a number of places where large hoardings were painted. I spent many afternoons watching them paint during my (Sanawar) school vacation. I did try and request one of them to allow me to paint but was shooed away. "Yeh bacchon ka khel nahin hai" (this is not child’s play)

1967-72: Admission to IIT Khargapur put an end to the painting hoardings dream. A chance visit to a friend's house in 1969, where her sister was painting a Mahabharat subject. On my saying "I wish I could paint like that, I got a saucy remark "What's stopping you". It so happened that the following day I was sent, by my Dad, to buy some industrial brushes from a shop in Chandni Chowk. The shop was an artist's delight with oil paints, watercolor tubes, and multiple types of art brushes spread all around. I got my first set of 20 ml tubes in all colors. Thus began my painting expedition once again in my third year of college. Winning the best award in the oil painting competition continuously for two successive years only added to my passion.

1972-75: In 1972 India held her first International Trade Show, "Asia 72 Expo" where they invited artworks, including paintings, with the subject "Freedom" as we were celebrating 25 years of independence. Though nothing came of the three paintings I had submitted, it got me back to the easel while studying for MBA (FMS)

1973: First private show held at home to get the feeling of setting up an art show.
1974: Next solo show at Triveni Kala Sangam
1975: Second show again at Triveni

Though I painted sporadically in subsequent years, serious shows began in the year 2000. Thereafter it became a regular feature of displaying works in various solos and group shows in India and overseas.