I came from that background where art was not a profession, but a part-time occupation or a hobby. But my mother believed in me and sold her golden bangles so I could continue my love for art,” says artist Bhaskar Singha, prior to the launch of his solo show, Realms of Peace. “Unable to make my both ends meet with art. I worked in an advertising agency for two years, but left as that couldn’t sustain my interest. I took up the job for art teacher in a Delhi local school as it gave me ample time to pursue my passion and earn bread and butter for my family.”
Hailing from West Bengal, Singha is inspired by alpana (Bengali drawings from a paste of rice and flour). He says, “Me and a friend used to make sculptures, paintings in our free time, and even bunked our classes to do this.”
Formally trained from University of Calcutta in the fine arts, Singha is set to display his distinct style of depicting transparency in colour which he has worked on for over two decades. The images such as dove and the circle of light display a certain overlay technique of transparency. According to him, “I try to associate air’s intangible power to different human emotions. For example, in the mood of joy, the air flows smoothly and if the subject on the canvas is angry, the air turns gusty. Air, the all-pervasive power, is the inspiration of my paintings.”
Singha, whose favourite artist is Ganesh Pyne, feels art is a form of communication that best conveys our emotions. “Painting is meditation to me and I achieve pain, pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction being involved in this creation process. And I balance space, colour, form and figures to achieve spiritual satisfaction.”
When: December 26-29
At: Visual Art Gallery, IHC, Lodhi Road