About Vishal Joshi
The discipline of drawing was brought to me at a very young age, watching my mother and elder brother set the benchmark for me. I remember drawing fairly well from age seven and I maintained a steady development through school but it was a little later in my teens where I became attached to it..
At age 14, during my GCSE years, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and the time I spent in hospital was made easier when I had my sketch book and pencil at hand. Drawing became my ‘escape’ and my ‘peace around the madness’. Somehow, being attached to a drip didn’t seem so bad when I created another piece of art. I remember the feeling when I impressed my consultant and the nurses with my work; The praise and recognition that I received was not only fulfilling but also gave me feeling of success. My confidence in drawing increased as I practiced more.
After almost a year of treatment I was back at school, but my art skills excelled when I went to Gateway College in Leicester. My tutors were inspirational and developed my thought process towards art. Although art was my passion, I wanted to be a fighter pilot for the R.A.F, however my dreams were shot down as I failed at the medical screening process because of the Cancer which had affected my breathing. I instantly changed my focus and signed up for a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, which I finished with Distinctions in every module. It was then that I knew I wanted to be an Artist. The following three years took me through the University of Arts, London, where I graduated in Fine Art: Painting. I went on to study and travel in China. When I came back home to the reality of student debt I needed to earn a living and didn’t want to be the stereotypical ‘broke artist’. I fell into a role in a marketing firm back home in Leicester. After working there for six years, growing up and settling down, I decided to, once again plant my feet where they belong and pursue my career as an artist.
As many people, I also question my beliefs of God and any transcendent force, the only way to counter this (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence and to me that is the one concrete fact with no arbitrary answer of faith and existence. It is not to say there is no God, we can learn so much from religion, right and wrong. It is also ok not to know but to fill yourself with love for our existence; this is just as meaningful.
My paintings do sometimes deal with Gods, they are purely to embrace ‘humanness’, to encourage these cultural belief systems that we have put in place to make our lives feel ‘secure and safe’. If we are able to learn from the principles of the Gods in their stories, regardless of their sect then we will create a bridge of humanity rather than the barrier of religion. Sometimes people become prisoners of the religion that they were born into and to me, that seems a waste of so many truths. I strongly feel that many people’s meaning to life is created with heavy emotions due to history and culture and this energy can be felt from places and in people, just as you can feel a mother’s love or a brother’s trust.
Painting style and my approach
I paint in a style inspired by classic portrait artists like Freud and Jenny Saville. I was inspired to paint by acclaimed artist, Paul Wright. He presented his work when visiting my college when I was 16 and it gave me an approach to painting that I have never let go of. I went on to attend his workshop at the City Gallery in Leicester and during University I was fortunate enough to organise a one week residency with him in his studio. My true love for painting came from doing my foundation diploma where my chosen pathway was to understand the essence of human form through portrait painting; the study of identity began here. My mark-making style developed at university, but I found my true personal style more recently, experimenting on my own.
Browse work for saleEducation & Experience
Education
2006 – 2009 – B.A Fine Art Painting Wimbledon School of Art, London
2005 – 2006 – Foundation Diploma Art and Graphics, Gateway 6th Form College, Leicester
2003 – 2005 – A Level in Art and Design, Gateway 6th Form College, Leicester
Exhibitions and Public Unveilings
Nov 2023 – Neon Nostalgia – Light installation at The Nightfall Festival – Middlesborough, Mansfield
Sep 2023 – Lamborghini 60th Anniversary Commission by Lamborghini – Leicester, England
August 2023 – NHS LLR Mural commission/ Collaboration with poet Serenah Cole – In a better Nation, Leicestershire and Rutland, England
June 2023 – Participation bias in human Genomics – Fellowship unveiling of 3d double helix sculpture (VR, AR, Video)
August 2022 – Gavaskar Ground – Sunil Gavaskar unveiled Mural at Bharat Sports centre, Leicester
May 2022 – Jubilee Crown window mural – Anokhi House of Sarees, Leicester, England
March 2022 – Window display of Hands sculpture draped in sprees and Paper Plane sculpture amongst hanging paper aeroplanes – Anokhi House of Sarees, Leicester, England
Mar 2022 – Roy’s Art Fair – Truman Brewery, London, England
Nov 2021 – Roy’s Art Fair – Oxo Bargehouse, London, England
September 2021 – We Reflect – Stamp Festival, Hamburg, Germany
September 2021 – Hands of Freedom Sculpture No1 – Centenary celebrations with Attenborough Arts Centre, Wall mounted, Attenborough Building, University of Leicester campus. – Leicester, England
August 2021 – Summer Open Exhibition, Sock Gallery, Loughborough, England
August 2021 – Liberty UK, Art in unusual places Toilet Art Exhibition – Hands of Freedom mural at Leicester Museum and Gallery (previously known as New Walk Gallery) – Leicester, England
May 2021 – Paper Planes (Outdoor installation of sculpture) – Made with Many – Coronation park, Corby, England
May – Nov 2021 – Hands of Freedom 2 – Centenary celebrations with Attenborough Arts Centre, displayed upon plinth at Leicester Cathedral – Leicester, England
Jan 2020 – Solo Pop Up Recent Works Exhibition at Marvellous Art Gallery, Belvoir Street – Leicester, England
Nov 2019 – Leicester Society of Artists Annual Exhibition, New Walk Gallery, Leicester, England
July 2019 – The Leicester City Open 100, DIY Gallery, Town hall Square – Leicester, England
Jan 2019 – Art displayed at Sherwin Hall Interior Design Showroom, Oadby – Leicester, England
Nov 2018 – Leicester Society of Artists Annual Exhibition, New Walk Gallery – Leicester, England
Nov 2018 – Chester Art Fair, Chester, England
Oct 2018 – Leicester Open Variant Exhibition, Curve Theatre – Leicester, England
Winner of the L.O.V.E Art Prize by the hosts at Curve Theatre.
Oct 2018 – Leicester Sketch Club Anual Exhibition, The Old Library Gallery, Leicester
June 2018 – Open 2017, Cank Street Gallery, Leicester, England
Nov 2017 – Winter Open Exhibition, Sock Gallery, Loughborough, England
Oct 2017 – Leicester Sketch Club Anual Exhibition, The Old Library Gallery, Leicester, England
Winner of the LSA Artist Prize
Winner of the Viewers Choice Award
July 2017 – Open 28, The Old Library Gallery, Leicester, England
June 2017 – Open 2017, Cank Street Gallery, Leicester, England
Sep 2016 – Group show, Two One Two, Brick Lane, London, England
Jun 2016 – Group Show, 504 Gallery, Roman Road, London, England
I am a member and board member of the Leicester Society of Artists.
I am on the advisory board for the Attenborough Arts Centre
Workshops and classes
Nov 2023 – Neon Nostalgia – Light installation at The Nightfall Festival – Middlesborough, Mansfield
April – June 2022 – Arts in Mental Health – Brightsparks Charity, Attenborough Arts Ctr x 10 sessions + Riverside festival
Hands of Freedom – Drawing hands x 3 sessions. Collaboration with Professor David Ekserdjian (Dean of Art History, at Uni of Leicester) via Zoom
September 2021 – We Reflect – Stamp Festival, Hamburg, Germany – (In person) Portraits on reflective chrome x 1 day
