ABOUT

Born in Nairobi, Kenya and now based in Sydney, Australian artist Mahdhav Sarna is a contemporary realism artist whose works is inspired by the natural environment. 

Through an intensifying engagement with the wilderness, stemming from visceral connections with place and memories from the African bush, each artwork unfurls as an evolving meditation on beauty, the interconnectedness and transient quality of nature.

Mahdhav draws his visual inspiration from wildlife and in more recent works incorporates art, mythology, architecture and design as reflections from our shared current and ancient cultural landscapes. Through an exploration of seemingly contrasting subjects Mahdhav’s work celebrates the relationship, the metaphysical and aesthetic behind crafted object, culture and living being.

As a self-taught artist working primarily with oil paint, Mahdhav’s practice is in constant evolution. It is an intuitive journey to consistently refine and adapt his technique to better portray his subjects in a manner that invites the visceral into the visual. 

Having studied Architecture and a Master of Architecture at The University of Edinburgh and The Edinburgh College of Art, Mahdhav worked in the Architectural field before naturally progressing towards art. His work has been exhibited in both London and Sydney, and he has been a finalist in The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year (2021). Mahdhav has also worked closely with wildlife conservation organisations to promote the conservation of wildlife globally. Partnering with The Oceanic Preservation Society (2019), Mahdhav helped the development, launch and was the inaugural artist for the OPS Feature Artist platform, an initiative to use art as a voice for conservation.