Collection: Nadeem Chughtai Artist Biography and Art Gallery Collection

Nadeem Chughtai, is a contemporary British artist based in East London, was born in Epsom, England, in 1973, to an English mother and a Pakistani father and grew up in Worcester Park, England. Encouraged in his artistic endeavors by his parents and teachers from a young age, he attended the Epsom School of Art and Design and took an illustration course at Northbrook College in Worthing. With aspirations of becoming a filmmaker, Nadeem Chughtai next tackled photography and in 1997, took a position in the art department on the film "The Avengers." This began a five year long period of working in set design for film, including the Disney film 102 Dalmatians, and his film experience shows in his cinematic paintings and dramatic use of light. Nadeem Chughtai eventually left the film industry and acquired a studio to work on his own paintings.

Looking at that signature art of Nadeem Chughtai and the recurrent theme in his largely figurative and abstract work is the character which tends to appear in most compositional pieces. Describing who and what this representation of a person is and what it stands for, Chughtai explains; “The character I use was created as my tool to express what I wanted to say. It can be any one of us, it just represents the human species”, before adding; “I am a keen observer of everyday life so my ideas are created from images I see all around. I also dig deep into thoughts, feelings and emotions that I may be experiencing at the time”. Chughtai also speaks of the similarities between so many of us on so many everyday levels, and with that in mind he hopes that by expressing his in innermost or outermost feelings, however transient, on his canvases will engender a feeling of reciprocation in his viewer’s minds. What’s more, Chughtai always graphically emphasises the role light plays in his compositions, and specifically the way in which it compromises shadows, forms, mood and atmosphere for better or for worse.

Nadeem Chughtai, a keen observer of everyday life, attempts to find the commonalities that unite us all in order to touch people through his artwork. Part of this accessibility is also leaving a modicum of mystery in his compositions so that they are open to individual interpretation; the subjects' faces are not shown and their character is translated by posture and body language. Chughtai finds inspiration in old and new masters alike: Edward Hopper for his eerie, ambiguous images; Caravaggio for his ability to capture the moment; Donna McLean for the dark, atmospheric moods she creates. Chughtai's artwork combines the influence of these artists to create work that is utterly unique and full of high cinematic drama.