In the early Noughties, young Kolkata-based artist Bratin Khan came across an influential speech by Sri Aurobindo, which shaped the direction of his practice. In the famed sermon, the nationalist and philosopher revealed his visions of speaking with Vasudev (Krishna) while in jail, who taught him that religion should be ‘lived’ and not merely ‘performed’. This simple yet poignant thought struck Khan and has guided him since.
“My religion is painting. Through my works, I strive to share this message with the world. I created a human whom I call the ‘Golden Purusha’. He practises the religion of humanity. His forms are variations of Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira and others, and I draw him on my canvas in a dream-like state. For me, the visuals play out vividly as if they are alive,” says the 53-year-old.
This is evident in his ongoing solo exhibition at Delhi’s Arushi Arts Gallery. The entrance of the gallery is adorned with a serene painting of the Buddha as a young man surrounded by lilies. As its title suggests, he is the very embodiment of the Enlightened Purusha, who exudes love and peace as a response to violence and destruction. This is also what Khan aims to convey through the series called Songs of Amity, which lends its name to the exhibition, and currently is in its fourth iteration in 18 years.
He explains, “I don’t like creating explosives, blood stains or other negative imagery to depict the evil in society. I prefer to share my message through a garland of paintings, as a song that invokes a sense of fraternity and tranquillity to destroy extremism.” Khan’s artistic practice is heavily influenced by his guru and mentor, the famed painter of the Bengali School, Suhas Roy, as well as the art of Rajasthani miniature paintings, which he learnt while studying at Shantiniketan in Bengal.
Many of his works depict the playful yet deep love of Krishna and Radha caught in moments of a private conversation held in nature. They are often joined by docile animals and beautiful flora, as seen in his works The Divine Melody, Jugal, Love and On the Way Back Home.
His attention to detail is evident in intricate peripheral elements, which range from multi-layered jewellery to vibrant textiles as in The Celebration, a facial glow to signify emotion as with In Peace, and the play of light on a leaf that allows the subject to change colour depending on the time of day or night, as seen in a series of untitled works. The artist considers nature as the real protagonist of his work. “I was born and raised in a village in North Bengal, and the visuals of nature I saw then continue to influence me today,” he says.
When & Where
Songs of Amity by Bratin Khan
Arushi Arts Gallery, W-23 GK 2, New Delhi
On till December 20