Parag Sonarghare

Parag Sonarghare was born in Nagpur, India in 1987 and holds a M.V.A. (Art History and Aesthetics) from M.S. University, Baroda, India. Parag completed his B.F.A. (Painting) in 2008 from Govt. Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya Nagpur University, Nagpur (Maharashtra) India.

The male figures that Sonarghare portrays in his works on canvas, are of older men from the lower socio-economic strata. Painted in a larger-than-life format, they bear the marks of time – wrinkles, wounds, rough edges and imperfections. Yet they seem unperturbed by their condition. Here one of modern society’s most marginalised segments, is painted into prominence. Sonarghare is interested in painting the nude body - insofar as to expose the soul through the map of the skin. The choice of subject, treatment and scale of the work - allows the artist to draw attention to ordinary people, with extraordinary sensitivity and skill.

In 2023 Parag was invited by artist and curator Riyas Komu to exhibit a monumental painting in Sea A Boiling Vessel at the Kashi Hallegua House in Kochi. In 2022 he was an artist-in-residence at Casa Cerrito in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In 2021 Parag was part of a group show titled Portraits of the Self II, at Gallery Maskara, Mumbai, India. In 2020 Parag participated in a group show titled Burning House atMuseum Sztuki, Lodz, Poland. In 2019 he was part of an exhibition at Kunstsilo Altdorf, Altdorf, Switzerland, where he was also invited as an artist-in-residence. In 2018 he was part of the Pepper House residency in conjunction with Kochi Muziris Biennale. In 2016 Parag was part of two group shows titled TIME and Portraits of the Self, at Gallery Maskara, Mumbai, India. He was also part of Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition, Jeonbuk Museum of Art, Korea and The Young Subcontinent, Serendipity Arts, Goa. The artist works and lives in Baroda.

Between 2017 to 2021 he has made many wall murals as public art projects in Mumbai, Kochi, Varanasi, Switzerland and Goa. He has used the body both in performance and in painting.  Selected performances include Being the Other, KHOJ International Artist Association, Delhi, AHAMBRAHMASMI at various locations including Delhi, Nagpur and Baroda. He has participated in various group exhibitions including Rethinking the Regional, Curated by Manisha Patil, NGMA, Mumbai, Indian Contemporary Art, space 1858, Chicago, USA, PARADIGMS & PERSPECTIVE, Indigo blue art gallery, Singapore amongst others.

His works are in the collection of Karen & Robert Duncan, USA, The Huerlimann collection, Switzerland, Antoine de Galbert collection, France amongst other important collections in the US, Europe and India.