Madhvi Parekh (Indian, B. 1942) Last Supper image size (in) 40 x 72Madhvi Parekh (Indian, B. 1942)Last Supper signed and dated in Devanagiri 'Madhvi 2011' lower right and edition 20/60reverse serigraph in 17 colours on acrylic, framed181 x 100cm (71 1/4 x 39 3/8in).image size (in) 40 x 72ProvenanceArcher Graphic Studio, Ahmedabad.Often described as a "folk" artist, Madhvi Parekh is recognised as a master and one of the most influential Modernist artists not only in South Asia, but also globally. Born in the village of Sanjaya, India in 1942, her journey in the art world began in the early 1960s, inspired by the work of her husband, Manu Parekh (B.1939), also a painter. The fact that she received her education during her first pregnancy deeply influenced her approach to the canvas. Her focus lies on the process of creation, rather than the result, which cannot be foreseen or known beforehand. Hence, her starting point is an idea, or better a feeling. She paints what she feels, without paying too much attention to critics and subsequent discussions of her work. Parekh creates art because she is drawn to it, regardless the external comments, the result, or the fame. It is the need to express herself, her story, and traditions.Undoubtedly, her personal background is visible in the subjects of her works, which often depicts the life in her village, festivities, and traditions, often through the perspective of a child. therefore, painting represents a sort of reminiscing and meditative process, where the artist's memories and the feelings she experienced during her childhood come to life. Her style represents the apparent simplicity of youth. Usually compared with Paul Klee (1879-1940) and Joan Miró (1893-1983), her technique consists of an instinctive and creative use of simple lines and shapes, such as triangles and squares. Parekh succeeds in combining flat surfaces, pictorial decorative elements of Indian art tradition together with a modern deconstruction of the forms and of the subject matter. Parekh unmistakable style jumps out of the canvas in her version of The Last Supper (2011). Her work represents an intelligent and original appropriation of Christianity most celebrated event, reinterpreted through a laic and modernist sensibility. Parekh's painting refers to Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) homonymous work painted between 1495-1498. The basic structure of da Vinci's work is maintained. Even the apostles appear in the same poses and order. The composition of the background is also preserved, with the three windows that open on a generic city landscape. However, the lack of perspective and the reduced pictorial depth, the flat surface, and the geometric forms of the figures typical of Parekh and modernist style debunk the divine aura of the subject. In fact, although the iconography of this subject matter is universally known and recognisable, it is not part of Parekh's tradition. The fact that the artist does not identify herself as a Christian, together with Parekh's style turns this classic and sacred motif into a secular tale of friendship and betrayal, themes that are shared in many myths and legends across the globe. In this work, the artist succeeds in synthesizing cultural differences, shared topics, and her own responses to da Vinci's work in primis, and to this alien tradition.