Govinder Nazran

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History and Background

Govinder's art training began in Bradford in the North of England, where he studied Graphic Design from 1980-1983. After that he then went on to study for a Higher Diploma in Graphic Design, specialising in illustration, at Lincoln Art College.

Having completed his formal training Govinder decided to move to London, approaching all of the major city publishers with his portfolio. It was there that he worked on illustrations for children's books, and after 6 months moved to Cambridge where he continued working as a freelance illustrator.

Upon moving back to his home town of Saltaire in West Yorkshire, he took up the position of designer for a greetings card company, which involved all aspects of product design and development. Following that Govinder became a photographic art director, directing fashion shoots all over the world. He did this for the next year or so until 1993, when he decided to swap the hectic photographic job and lifestyle, for a quieter life back in Saltaire. He spent the next five years here, working freelance on card designs with major publishing companies.

It wasn't until 1999 that Govinder decided to enter the fine art market and approached Washington Green with his portfolio. After joining them they published over 40 of Govinder's designs and developed some of the art into sculpture.

Ideas and Inspirations

Many of Govinder's paintings are about good and evil - innocence and malevolence. When he was a child Govinder remembered believing what a wonderful and happy place the world was. He loved to learn about other people in other countries and wanted to visit them all. Of course, he went on to realise things aren't quite as he once imagined, and the once distant places where he so wanted to be are not so far away; they were actually on his doorstep. The people he wanted to meet are locked in a bitter hatred of each other, divided by race or religion. The world is a place where the innocent pay the heaviest price. It affected him deeply. It's like living in the garden of Good and Evil and Govinder depicted it in the form of his innocent pictures, leaving it to the individual to look at his paintings and choose what they would like to see, innocence or malevolence - the 'good' or the 'evil'!

Above all else Govinder was an eternal optimist. He once said: 'Optimism is one of the greatest gifts we possess. When I think about it, I think of the song 'Fields of Gold' by Sting - the lyrics sum it up!'

These two opposing juxtapositions ultimately explain many of his paintings. Look at the ones which have malevolent titles - mainly the evil cats. To Govinder they are representations of evil. However, at first glance, the impression they exude is optimism. The wide-eyed cats and dogs always look petrified and are representations of the innocent. You can choose to see these paintings any way you like. See love and happiness or death and the Devil, it doesn't matter so long as you see something and connect with it.