In 1982 he was one of 6 artists in the show ‘Place for People’ which was a landmark show in Indian Art and initiated a new concern with social issues in art. The city of Bombay and its surroundings have been a continuing source of inspiration for the artist. Alongside this social dimension, the more personal aspects of the artist’s presence in his own work, and the problems of representation, have preoccupied Patwardhan. Patwardhan has also been a curator who has focused on introducing new audiences to contemporary art.