Journey to the Heart of Light
Govinda Sah ‘Azad’

February & March 2026

Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ is an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist whose work explores the intersections of landscape, energy, and spiritual
consciousness. Born in 1974 in Rajbiraj, Nepal, Sah’s artistic sensibility emerged early, shaped by village life and the powerful presence of nature. His
artistic journey began as a sign painter in Delhi, before formal study at the Fine Art College in Kathmandu and further education in Dhaka. In 2008, he
completed an MA in Fine Art in London, where his practice gained international recognition.

Sah has been represented by October Gallery, London, since 2011, where he has presented a series of acclaimed solo exhibitions, most recently ‘Journey
to the Heart of Light’ (December 2025–January 2026). This exhibition brought together a new body of large-scale and intimate works that furthered his
sustained inquiry into presence, perception, and the unseen forces shaping human experience.

Working primarily in oil and acrylic on linen and canvas, Sah’s paintings move fluidly between abstraction and landscape. Mountains, horizons, light, and
atmospheric shifts recur not as literal representations but as metaphors for inner and outer states of being. Drawing on Eastern spiritual philosophy
alongside Western painterly traditions, his work has often been compared to J.M.W. Turner for its sensitivity to light and elemental energy, while remaining
firmly grounded in a contemporary, transnational practice.

Since relocating to Margate, Sah has found renewed inspiration in the coastal environment of East Kent. The meeting of sea, sky, and shifting light echoes
the Himalayan landscapes of his youth, creating a dialogue between place, memory, and transformation. Works such as Mountain to Margate (Sea)
reflect this convergence.

For Sah, painting is not simply an act of representation but a spiritual and philosophical practice. Art becomes a means of alignment, engaging gravity,
balance, darkness, and energy as creative forces. His work invites viewers into a shared space of reflection, where painting offers a quiet encounter with
interconnectedness and singular consciousness.