1961

Born in Delhi, India.

Attends Modern School, Barakhamba road. Dabbles in sculptures, paintings and sketches. Loves clay as a medium of his expression of art but is more interested in outdoor sports like football and wishes to play it professionally.

1980-99

Studies B.Com(H) from Delhi University. Goes on to complete his MBA and then Masters in International Trade from IIFT, Delhi. Inclined towards designing and takes up full time profession as Director creative design & marketing with an MNC. Travels extensively in India, Europe, and USA for both business and studying the works of various masters in Paris, Italy, London and Holland. He is specially impressed by the works of Vincent Van Gogh and the rebel in him which inspired him to go against the conventional art forms prevalent at that time. Buys a lot of prints from the Van Gogh Museum for his personal collection. In Paris he is very intrigued by the sketch artists and interacts over finer details in making a portrait. Engages into stimulating discussions with many artists and does on the spot sketches with pencil in Paris and London.

2000-2004

Visits Ram Kumar’s exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi and is totally enamoured by his works and decides spontaneously to paint seriously as a professional artist. Leaves his job with the MNC and never seeks regular employment again. Interacts regularly with Shri Krishen Khanna by visiting him at his studio in Garhi, Delhi. Krishen Khanna advises him to sketch spontaneously on any inspiration or a subject which intrigues him. During this time he starts writing poetry and spends more time in the company of some contemporary artists. He is invited as a member of the prestigious India International Centre, Delhi and The International Centre, Goa. Visits Goa and Varanasi a number of times during these years to draw inspiration for his sketches. Interviews many intellectuals, writers, poets and spiritual persons on various subjects including mythology, religion and journey after death. Drawn towards spirituality in a big way.

2004-2006

Meets his idol Shri Ram Kumar at his residence in Bharti Artist Colony and this meeting has a very deep and profound impression on him. Shri Ram Kumar advises him to read the book “Letters of Vincent Van Gogh” as an experience to enrich him and to probably acquaint him with the passion, discipline and dedication that an artist should possess in his journey. He is depressed by what he reads in that book. But he is now fully geared to immerse himself full length into the art scene. Sketches while he travels but only for his personal satisfaction (does not exhibit them).

2007-2008

The landmark year which sees the emergence of an abstract artist who is fearless in his style and refuses to confine himself to any system or theory. He is confident of his strokes and uses both bold and sublime colours in the same work. At most times he prefers to use only one colour (different tones) or maximum of two to three colours in the entire canvas. He chooses acrylic on canvas as his favourite medium and occasionally dabbles with oil or mixed media. Finds atmosphere at the art scene in Gurgaon (a suburb near Delhi) very stimulating and churns out work after work. Establishes his own studio in Kalindi Colony in Delhi and immerses into long hours of very productive work. Krishen Khanna comes to meet him at his studio and discusses some finer points and makes a sketch to inspire him (writes “Ajay you carry on”).

In just one year he participates in as many as five group exhibitions and holds a solo exhibition at the oldest gallery in the India- Dhoomimal Art Gallery, Delhi. The one man show is inaugurated by Krishen Khanna (who also curates the show) and Anjolie Ela Menon. Ram Kumar graces the occasion with his presence, sees all the forty four works on display and blesses him. He presents his book of short stories (autographed with a personal message), which is treasured by the artist deeply. Senior artists like Fatima Abdullah of Faculty of Art, JMI and Niren Sen attend the exhibition and comment on the deep spirituality in Ajay’s works.

The show is well received by the media and is acknowledged positively by Renuka Narayanan in her weekly column on art (culture club) in the Hindustan Times.  The show is covered on Page 3 of Delhi Times, Times of India and “Whats Hot” with an interview of the artist. Photograph of his canvas depicting the “Journey of a Soul” is published by TOI. Ajay sells twelve paintings during the show and is commissioned for another seven paintings by many collectors during the show. Anjolie Ela Menon buys a canvas (Sunset III) for her personal collection and gives her comments on the show: “soulful work full of sensitive nuances”. Ajay’s works find a place in Dhoomimal Art Gallery’s Retrospective of 70 years at Lalit Kala Academy, Delhi in December 2007. Commissioned by many architects, collectors & connoisseurs for their private collection, January-July 2008.   


Chosen by UNITECH to start their Corporate Art Collection in their prestigious project for upper end flats in UNITECH Sales Pavilion, NOIDA, August 2008.