The Surat born artist Naval Jijina, 96, who passed away at his Bombay residence on April 22, 2025, had been trained to be a priest, but found his true calling in abstract art. Parsiana had written about him twice, first in 2021 when the reclusive artist had been persuaded to exhibit his works after a gap of 48 years (see "The agony and the ecstasy,” Parsiana, February 21-March 6, 2021) and again two years later as part of a "forgotten series” at the Art of India (AOI) show held at Worli’s Snowball Studios from March 19-25, 2023 (see "An assortment of artists,” Parsiana, April 7-20, 2023).
Jijina’s paintings at the earlier show "included portraits of family members, Zoroastrian themes, abstracts that we are told are aerial views, Hindu deities, landscapes, mostly in muted colors. In Chinvat Bridge, tiny farohars and figures that could be human fly across yellow and blue skies with a tiny figure aflame in the bottom left corner… His artist wife Gool’s paintings were also exhibited simultaneously.”
Naval Jijina, with two of his paintings
Declining a personal interview with late senior editor Farrokh Jijina, Naval had written to Parsiana in 2021: "There have been days when I have been so engrossed in art that I have gone without food or had just a humble vada pav (spicy potato patty in a bun) to save money to buy paints, to be able to paint and keep my passion alive. I would rather go hungry than borrow money.” He admitted that "khava karta painting per jaasti paisa kharachya (I spent more money on painting than on food).”
The artist, who had lost his mother when he was two years old, had an indifferent father and a domineering aunt. He was pressured into studying for the priesthood. But serving the Bombay Parsi Punchayet run Godavara Gamadia Agiary in the 1950s was not a happy experience, At a particularly frustrating moment in his career, when he looked to the holy fire for guidance, "a voice in his ear” told him "Tara ma kai aavar chhè, tu kélav (Find your talent and train it).” He chose to paint.
"Formally trained at Nutan Kala Mandir and Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy School of Art, Naval was a student of renowned painter Shankar Palsikar and muralist Baburao Sadwelkar, and joined a select group of artists such as Syed Raza, Vasudeo Gaitonde and other abstractionists in experimenting with color,” wrote Parsiana in 2021. One of his paintings appeared on the cover of that issue.
"After his 1962 graduation from art school, Naval held an exhibition spanning three halls at the Jehangir Art Gallery called ‘Life of Zarathushtra.’ Sponsored by medical practitioner and Parsiana founder Dr Pestonji Warden, the exhibits travelled to Udvada, Navsari, Surat and Ahmedabad. ‘I was chosen by Dr Warden (to do) the paintings through the fire temple,’ Naval, who later assisted Warden to set up the Everyman’s (art) Gallery in Bombay’s Dhobi Talao, told Parsiana. His career as a textile designer, which also took him to Delhi, was put to an end by the mills strike of the early 1980s... (and) he found himself practicing only painting.” As he had asserted then, "I will keep painting till I am alive…”
S. V.