DELHI: Sculptor-painter Paresh Maity is one of the most prominent names in the modern Indian art space. Originally from Tamluk in West Bengal, it was a visit to a Durga Puja pandal near his home as an eight-year-old when Maity, currently based in Greater Kailash, realised his desire to pursue art.
“Every day, I would watch the artisans craft clay idols of Maa Durga. The sculptors would take shapeless clay and seamlessly transform that into the idols. I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I was mesmerised by this and wanted to make something of my own. I took clay from there and started making small figurines out of it,” recounts the 58-year-old artist.
Making his first appearance in the metaverse, Maity created a collection with five Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) artworks, three of which include a physical asset.
His debut NFT collection, launched by Kolkata-based Gallery Art Exposure, was auctioned at WazirX NFT, an NFT marketplace for artists and creators, on March 4.
“When the NFT craze started, a friend of mine had encouraged me to dabble in this kind of art form. However, it was Somak [Somak Mitra, director of Gallery Art Exposure], who encouraged me to finally create a collection like this. I am very old school but once I understood it, I wanted to give my viewers a surprise,” shares Maity.
Delving into the multiverse
For those unfamiliar with NFT, it is a digital asset that runs on blockchain networks. However, unlike a crypto-currency like bitcoin—also powered by blockchain technology, NFTs are non-interchangeable, therefore making them unique. Currently, NFTs are disrupting the mainstream art world, and several artists are dipping their toes into this one-of-a- kind space.
“Today’s world has moved to a completely digital platform. From ordering food to shooting a film, everything can be done virtually,” mentions Maity, talking about offering his artworks as digital assets.
He continues, “There are different people in the world who I cannot reach with my physical exhibition. However, through NFTs, I will be able to reach an absolutely new audience.”
Maity gave a modern twist to conventional art in this collection. Of course, his signature use of vibrant primary colours was still very much part of these paintings. However, unlike his traditional artworks, these pieces took a more abstract angle, making them open to interpretation.
Among the five paintings were abstract impressions of the cityscapes of Banaras and Manhattan. “These were highly-animated versions of my paintings. In ‘City Never Sleeps’, [which is about] the Manhattan cityscape, you will be able to see the house moving. Similarly, the Banaras cityscape painting has boats bobbing in the Ganges. Usually, artworks are stationary. However, with this medium, the viewers will be able to witness my works in a completely different light,” adds Maity.
Talking about how artists are embracing NFTs, Maity concludes, “Time is a reality. We have to catch up with time.”