I have been following Rajiv Puri's work for the last many years and what I am particularly interested in are his mindscapes, both inner and outer. I am looking at the psychological inscapes where the surrealist, abstract, and the fantastic all play a role. Though the term inscape has been applied to stylistically diverse artworks, it generally conveys some notion of representing the artist's psyche as a kind of interior landscape. The word inscape can therefore be read as a kind of portmanteau, combining interior (or inward) with landscape. And Rajiv is continuously 'playing' with his inscapes.

I find two constants in his work. His continuous engagement with the act of painting and his absorption with nature in its myriad moods and manifestations. From capturing the impressions of light, to the indelible moment ingrained in memory Rajiv's paintings lead the viewer into an immersive experience.

In his latest body of work which he has titled 'Wilderness" there are moments of pure experiential pleasure, of a reflective meditative sublimity, of a journey in time. His flat applications of oil paints have slowly evolved into sharper, more refined brush strokes. Colour for Rajiv becomes the vehicle of his own moods and the application a dialogue with himself.

What is interesting for the viewer or the 'rasika' is to be a distant 'witness' to the internal journey of the artist. And this is what I have enjoyed most. To watch Rajiv forging ahead in his artistic journey has always been a source of great delight to me personally. Every time he shows a new body of work, there is an evolvement of technique style and concepts.

In this body of work I find a parallel to the style of the artists who were part of the Barbizon school and the French Impressionist. They worked in natural light and embraced nature. Very much 'en plein air'. En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air". It is used to describe the act of painting in the open air outside the closed spaces of indoor studios. For the English landscape artists the closest term was alfresco which has a similar meaning. Rajiv Puri's current works are infused with the 'en plein air' and represent his 'inscapes' in his own personal vocabulary.