Lincoln Seligman left a ‘boring City life’ to become an artist in 1980. With an enduring passion for India, he finds new inspiration on every journey.
Currently spending time with his friend, the Maharaja of Dungarpar, his last year's his exhibition was an exploration of Rajasthan for ‘colour, palaces and flamboyant people, Gujarat for for deserts, fortresses, and displays of textiles.’ He will spend days in the Udai Bilas Palace, where the Maharaja of Dungarpar, has invited him to stay, absorb and paint in tranquillity. The Maharaja, a motor car fanatic, has collected his series‘ ‘Maharajas at Speed’ which Seligman describes as ‘fanciful paintings of old cars, transporting hunting parties with a Cheetah on the back seat.’
A connection with India, and with art, may have been a legacy from his grandmother Hilda, a successful artist and sculptor who lived in the Himalayas. When living in Wimbledon, Hilda’s closes friends were Mahatma Gandhi, the Emperor of Ethiopia, the revered Haile Selassie. Another link with India comes from his immersion in the Jungle Book stories as a child, Rudyard Kipling his mother’s friend and godfather.
This year Seligman's show at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia, 14th till 30th May 2019, is based on a more idiosyncratic approach, not so much a travelogue, but more time on the ground, in fewer places. In his own words, "The people I’ve painted are those I have chosen, considered and analysed in more depth. I hope this makes the paintings themselves more exciting for the viewer."
