In his 80s, Kolkata-born Sakti Burman is as passionate about his art as he was when he first made his way to Paris to study at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. Ask him whether he still paints, and he is suitably shocked. “What a horrible question,” he exclaims. “An artist never outgrows his passion. Unless he or she is physically incapable of painting, the studio will continue to throb with life. Towards the end of his life, the French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir suffered from crippling rheumatoid arthritis. But that did not stop him from painting. He tied a paintbrush to his hand and went about his art,” says the artist.
Using the marbling technique, Burman’s paintings have a weathered fresco-like appearance, at the same time standing out for their vivid colours and apparent drama on canvas.
The artist borrows heavily from reality and mythology—both the Indian tradition and the Western culture. He explains, “I first set eyes on Renaissance painting while in Paris and that has stayed with me all along. I have tried to incorporate the same kind of look in my paintings. Also, when I visited Florence, I was enamoured by the frescoes there. It took me a long time to get a similar effect in my watercolours, but I finally managed.”
The Burmans boast a family full of artistic talent—Sakti Burman’s wife is the French artist Maite Delteil. Their daughter Maya Burman, who also lives and works in France, is a celebrated artist in her own right.
His niece, Jayasri Burman, was inspired to follow in the footsteps of her legendary uncle. She is also married to the maverick artist Paresh Maity. Dinner table conversations at the Burmans must be an art connoisseur’s delight.
Burman and his wife now divide time between Paris and Delhi. Needless to say, his works appear to be a blend of India and France. Also, a lot of his paintings have family members in them. “Isn’t that natural?” asks the artist, and continues, “When you are doing anything creative, you end up exposing what is within your innermost being—in your heart. For example, when my grandson was born, I was completely in awe of him. All I could think of was him. So, a lot of my works during that period feature him.”
Though he tells you that his paintings are not necessarily symbolic, you can’t but wonder at the fable-like strokes he creates on canvas.
A strikingly distinctive artist, style comes naturally to him—from his paintings to his persona—a style that charms everyone in the room. This artist has successfully merged two very different cultures and geographical realities.
“I still have the spirit of Bengal within me. Also, my memories of Bangladesh—where I spent a small part of my childhood—are extremely vivid. In fact, I’m so in love with the old picture in my mind that often people ask me not to travel to Bangladesh because nothing is the same. But if I had not come and stayed in Paris, I don’t think I would be this kind of an artist. Your travels decide the person you become and creative people are a reflection of the society they’re experiencing.”
The exhibition showcases Burman’s artistic journey from the 1950s to 2016 through the intricate use of pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Also included in the retrospective are sketches from Burman’s travels to Spain, Italy, France and India. The celebrated artist reminisces, “When I started out, sometimes it was tough.
I did not have enough money. There was a time that I worked at a textile house as a designer. While it brought in some money, I was not happy. I was not getting time to follow my passion. Soon I quit. But despite all the hard days of having to struggle, I’m here today and still doing what I love.”