In the realm of contemporary Indian portraiture, Rajesh Sarode stands out as a draftsman of sensitivity and integrity, blending academic precision with emotional insight. As an artist and educator at the School of Fine and Performing Arts, SRTM University, Nanded, where he trains BPA students under the directorship of Dr. Privitage Taur, Sarode occupies a unique position: one foot firmly in the classroom, and the other in the timeless dialogue between art and humanity.
His graphite portraits — rendered with a disciplined mastery of tone and texture — reveal an aesthetic rooted in realism, yet animated by a quiet psychological depth. At first glance, his work recalls the traditions of academic portrait drawing: the faithful representation of likeness, the careful modeling of light and shadow, and the attention to minute facial details. But beneath that technical rigor lies something more elusive — a moral respect for the individuality of his subjects.
Sarode’s pencil does not merely describe the face; it listens to it. Each line is a whisper of empathy, each gradient of shading a gesture of understanding. In the series before us — depicting diverse figures, from scholars to artists, from the elderly to the youthful — Sarode composes a silent choir of human expression. His tonal modulation is exquisite: the softness of light across the cheekbones, the delicate reflection in the eyes, and the play of texture between fabric and skin all testify to his acute observational power.
What distinguishes Sarode’s portraits is not theatricality, but poise. He avoids the exaggerated drama of modern expressionism, preferring instead the dignity of restraint. His subjects appear at peace with the artist’s gaze; they are neither idealized nor exposed, but presented with quiet reverence. This subtle emotional equilibrium gives his drawings their meditative quality — an effect that invites contemplation rather than spectacle.
From a pedagogical perspective, Sarode’s work embodies the very principles he likely imparts to his students: discipline, patience, and fidelity to human truth. His compositions often use a neutral background, allowing the figure to command the viewer’s full attention. The focus remains the face — the site where intellect, spirit, and biography converge.
Moreover, Sarode’s practice bridges the gap between academic art and living portraiture. While grounded in classical drawing, his approach reflects a deeply Indian sensibility — an awareness of humanity as sacred, of representation as a moral act. This makes his work resonate beyond the studio, positioning him not only as an artist but as a chronicler of human presence.
In an age dominated by digital image-making, Rajesh Sarode’s devotion to graphite and paper feels almost radical. It is a return to slowness, to intimacy, to the humility of the hand. His portraits remind us that the simplest medium — a pencil — can still convey the most complex truths about who we are.
