MANOJ VYAS - Artist from New York

MANOJ VYASBorn in India in 1956, Manoj Vyas began painting at the age of 8 when he amazed his father with his first mixed medium painting that he created out of whole rice. His father gave him paper and pencil encouraging him to draw on paper. But Manoj’s drawing found other mediums also. Many times he painted with coal and brick on the walls of the neighbors’ houses in his block and school rooms, and got scolded and spanked by them.He began participating in all drawing and painting competitions at his school and soon won a Drawing and Rangoli competition. He also sketched all his classmates’ portraits at school. His first recognition came when he won the Second Prize from Gujarat state in statewide competition. To continue his passion for painting, he joined the SSG School of Arts first, and then the famous Sir J.J. School of Arts in Bombay from where he got his Art degree.His first job was with Bombay’s prestigious daily newspaper Indian Express as a sketch and layout artist. His struggle continued even when he immigrated to the U.S. in 1985. But even here, his first job took him to the then prestigious and famous India Abroad newspapers where he worked 7 days a week. Unable to travel to participate in painting competitions and shows due to family obligations, he turned his profession into his hobby.Manoj has now started traveling to Europe in the last 5 years and has visited art galleries and museums at United Kingdom, Barcelona and other cities in Spain, and Rome and other areas in Italy. Painting still remains his passion and he now devotes more time to it, sometimes even waking up from sleep to quickly sketch ideas on canvas. He draws inspiration for painting from legends, folk tales and real life.The mediums for the little boy who used walls and coal have changed to canvas. Manoj has made a successful transition from his Indian background to his current American home. Today his canvas is large, covering real life portraits, religious paintings, and even Nudes as and when required by clients. And his mediums range from water colors and acrylics to oil and wax colors. His work depicts the conflicts between the spiritual and the material world, and conflicts between family obligations and the call of his heart, his art. Drawn from life, his work also represents his fears, hopes, pleasures and pains.Home Phone: 718 899 2648Cell: 917 617 0091Manoj Vyas37-30 73rd Street Apt #2JJackson Heights, NY 11371