Bhupen Khakhar (1934 - 2003)
Dentist
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 106.6 × 107 cm. (42 × 42 ⅛ inches)
- Painted
- 1999
- Collection
- Futuredge Estates LLP, Vadodara
Dentist from 1999 is a vibrant and humorous painting from the closing chapter of Khakhar's incomparable career. Hand-selected by the artist for inclusion in the landmark Madrid show, the canvas reveals an eccentric self-portrait. Khakhar is the eponymous dentist, shown pulling the teeth of his beloved Vallabh Bhai.
Contrary to other works which depict the couple in tender embrace, here, the painter places them in a clinical, seemingly impersonal setting. Aligned with the artist's trade paintings of two decades prior, the painting also references the sensual nature of his work from the 1980s onwards.
Dentist traverses the decadal divisions of Khakhar's oeuvre and showcases important echoes and shifts within his themes, mediums and styles. The painting hails from the private collection of a close friend of the artist, and stands testament to the wit, humour and affection that ran throughout Khakhar's artistic endeavours and his personal relationships.