Pilloo Pochkhanawala

Pilloo Pochkhanawala (1923-1986) was born in Bombay to a Parsi family. In contrast to her religious upbringing, growing up during the struggle for Indian independence resulted in her cultural and political involvement. Pochkhanawala was awarded her BA in commerce from Bombay University, and began her career in the advertising industry. However, following a work visit to Europe in 1951, she was exposed to an array of museums, artists, and sculptors, inspiring her to pursue the visual arts. She was among India’s first few women sculptors. 

Pochkhanawala was mentored by N. G. Pansare, who taught her the fundamental techniques of sculpting. Beginning her journey in the 1950s, her first works portrayed the almost fatalistic acceptance of the Indian woman. But soon, her dynamism soon lured her far beyond her natural inventiveness. After a visit to England in 1970, she encountered sculptors such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Kenneth Armitage, who introduced her to the depth of modern sculpture. 

Pochkhanawala began to experiment with a number of media and techniques in the 1960s and 1970s, including direct carving, and cement and metal casting. However, she gradually abandoned the conventional wood, cement and beaten lead for scrap iron and steel. She learnt the technique of welding, which helped her fuse fragments of discarded iron and steel to create her signature works. Doing this, Pochkhanawala bridges the gap between a concept and its concrete expression.

Throughout her career, Pochkhanawala had numerous solo exhibitions, both in India and internationally. She was also the recipient of a silver medal from the All India Sculptors’ Association (1954); a silver medal from Bombay Art Society (1954); several prizes at the Maharashtra State Art Exhibition (1955, 1959, 1961); and the Lalit Kala Akademi Award (1979). Not only was she a major artist, but she was also a key mediator and facilitator of the arts in Bombay – she organised the Bombay Arts Festival from the 1960s for many years. She passed away in 1986.