From his studio in the sprawling suburbs of Mumbai, Prashant Salvi looks out on a space where abject poverty and the growing middle class mingle. On one side, there are labourers working in farm yards and the squalor that Mumbai is known for. On the other side are large apartment complexes where rich people live luxurious lives. An artist who is used to observing life closely, Salvi says: "I am influenced by the surroundings of my studio. Comparing what is going on on both the sides heavily influences my work."

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Even in India, where he has grown up and evolved as an artist, 29-year-old Salvi is relatively unknown, having exhibited only in Mumbai in September 2000 at the Arts Show Revolution-"a monumental point in my career," he says.

Now, however, after winning the 2001 Bose Pacia Prize for Contemporary Art, Salvi is being introduced to the international art community through his paintings that are on display in New York..

Started in 1997 by Bose Pacia Modern (BPM)-the first institution to showcase contemporary Indian art in New York City-the Bose Pacia Prize for Contemporary Art (earlier known as the Emerging Artist Award) is awarded every two years to an upcoming artist.

In his works which tell very vivid stories, Salvi tackles the complex issues of prejudice, humanity and sexuality where elements, colours and figures depict a protagonist and his struggle with this world. "Innumerable current events and anecdotes of the world around me leave an impression on my work. I am inspired by society," says Salvi.

Salvi began young. "While studying in the fourth standard," says Salvi, "I drew a picture of a local political leader with a crayon. My father understood that I was serious about painting. So later he encouraged me to pursue higher studies in the fine arts."

Salvi went to the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, receiving his bachelor's in fine arts in 1996 and master's in 1998. After that, he pursued his passion in his own studio. That was when he participated in the group event at the Arts Show Revolution, which showcased six of his paintings. In them Salvi had explored and expressed the growth and development of body parts into a human being. The series now resides with art collector and auctioneer Nevile Tulie in Mumbai.

Salvi cites both Western art and Indian literature as his artistic influences. "The elements used by other artists fascinate me-elements of environmentalists Joseph Beuys and Philip Guston and minimalist sculptor Donald Jude are all recognisable in my work. The expressive words of Marathi poet Namdeo Dhasal and writer Rangnath Pathare have left an enormous impression on me."

Gradually, Salvi began to realise the value of his own work. He began to think about his work's relationship with tradition and modernism and also began to evaluate his place in the international art world. "I was able to put my work in the context of notable Indian painters Bhupen Khakkar and F.N. Souza-two artists whose works I am deeply attracted to."

This year's competition was judged by Shamim Momin, curator, The Whitney Museum of Art in New York City and William Stover, curator, The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City.

"The human figures in my paintings act as characters," says Salvi. "They show prejudices, humanity and inhumanity." His work, Dialogue Between Cultural Tree and Geological Element tells one such story. The protagonist of this particular work is a product of the harsh industrial culture of the prevailing society. The major figure appears as an androgynous wind-up toy surrounded by a raw, rugged landscape.

Another painting on view at BPM is Transit. It tells the story of a protagonist who journeys on bicycle from one land to another. "History is based on the transit from one land to another," says Salvi. "And this painting begs the viewer to ask himself 'Which land do I belong to?' The protagonist replants the tree of his place of 'origin' to the place where he 'settles'," explains Salvi. Referring to migration in current society, he says: "He experiences intense feelings while leaving one place and moving on to another."

Each painting starts from a single emotion that Salvi feels when he interacts with a person. Those feelings, he says, manifest themselves in his works. "As a child, I was inspired by the forms and shapes of the leaves and flowers and the different colours of the bodies of animals. Even today, all those elements are present in my paintings," he says.Each element in his compositions symbolises the relationship between the cultural and natural phenomena in the world which interact on various levels in both harmony and conflict.

Salvi has reached a platform of recognition that few can dream of. Yet, like most young artists of the present times, he is critical of himself while at the same time he is enthusiastic about his future.

"I am not satisfied with my work up till now," he says modestly. But he's sure of where his inspiration lies. "The people of Mumbai provide the inspiration and challenges through which I can develop my talents. My future paintings will be an expression of their energy and their lives."