Govinder Nazran 1964 - 2008 January 2009

We are deeply saddened to announce that one of country's most outstanding, award winning contemporary artists - Govinder Nazran - who enjoyed enormous success around the world, tragically died on Tuesday 30 December, after suffering a seizure on Christmas Eve.

Govinder's striking, naïve portrayal of the feline and canine form, married with strong oriental overtones, and rich texturing and layering, won him thousands of fans across the globe.

As Glyn Washington, managing director for Washington Green Fine Art Publishing, said: "2009 would have been our tenth anniversary of working with Govinder. It was a decade in which we enjoyed the most amazing and creative art from one of the most talented, gentle and innovative artists we have ever had the pleasure of working with. Ironically we were planning a major event during 2009 to celebrate this wonderful ten year collaboration. It has been said that 'It is often the brightest star that burns for the shortest time'... never has a truer word been spoken."

In 2004 Govinder became the 'Best Selling Published Artist' in the industry's Fine Art Trade Guild Awards and he enjoyed two sell-out tours in Japan where his work was highly revered. During his prolific ten years with Washington Green his work has been collected and admired by thousands of fans from all walks of life, including many well-known collectors world-wide. Unusually Govinder possessed the vision of both artist and creative director, as he innovated and developed the ideas for his ground breaking collections.

A naturally warm and witty man of enormous integrity, Govinder's shyness made it challenging for him to articulate his thoughts verbally. "My true personality reveals itself through my paintings," he once said. His cats and dogs reached far deeper than a cute, naïve cliché of a 'four legged friend' with many of his paintings dedicated to the fight between good and evil.

"I leave it to the individual to look at my paintings and choose what they would like to see, innocence or malevolence - the 'good' or the 'evil'. Above all else I am, and always will be, an eternal optimist. Optimism is one of the greatest gifts we possess and my paintings are from my soul."

Govinder often described his wife Sarah and daughter Eden as his "greatest inspiration" and his most "honest critics".

He will be sadly missed by all at Washington Green and no doubt by all who appreciated and loved his work the world over.