Mohanti, Prafulla

Prafulla Mohanti was born in 1936 and brought up in the village of Nanpur in Orissa, India. The influence of his birthplace can be seen in his art; he has explained that “My painting is rooted in my village culture.” He has written about Nanpur, for example in his book Changing village, changing life . (1990)

After qualifying as architect he came to England in 1960. He was surprised by some aspects of British life, and experienced racism, surviving a vicious attack on the streets in the East End of London. His book Through brown eyes (1985) describes his life in the UK.

Mohanti worked as a town planner, but has since become an author and artist. His work has been widely exhibited, for example at the Royal Festival Hall in 1990.

From the guide to the Prafulla Mohanti Collection, 1985-1990, (Special Collections, Brunel University Library)