What ideas or experiences have shaped the works in this exhibition?
My works are shaped by memories, everyday experiences and my engagement with history and visual culture. I often draw old buildings, monuments, ruined architecture, manuscripts, fragments of the past and current social problems. Memory and reality play a special part in my works. Dreams and reality are often mixed together in my paintings, creating a dream-like visual language. Light and shadow, along with layered colour, allow the past and present to exist together in the same space.
How do you approach a painting from the initial idea to the finished work?
I usually begin with an image, an object or an atmosphere that interests me. From there, the painting develops through layers of colour, forms, textures and marks. I do not always decide everything at the beginning. I allow the materials and the process to guide me. Watercolour gives me a particular freedom because transparency, light and unexpected marks can become an important part of the composition. I continue to add and remove elements until the painting reaches a balance.
How has your artistic language evolved over the years?
My artistic language has evolved considerably, but watercolour has remained central to my practice. With time, I have become more interested in combining observation and memory. I have moved beyond simply representing an object or place and have tried to explore its emotional and historical associations. Old architecture, Indian cultural imagery, literature and memories continue to influence me.
What would you like viewers to discover in your works?
I would like viewers to spend time with the paintings rather than looking at them only at first glance. There are different layers of imagery, colour, texture and references that may reveal themselves slowly. I hope viewers discover their own associations and stories within the works. More than giving one fixed meaning, I would like the paintings to create a space for memory, imagination and reflection.
What ideas or themes have guided the sculptures in this exhibition?
The works are drawn from different phases of my sculptural journey, but they are united by my continuing interest in the human condition. I have always been fascinated by the human figure, not merely as an anatomical form, but as a carrier of emotion, experience and movement.
Music and musicians have also been an important source of inspiration. I am interested in translating the rhythm, energy and physicality of music into sculptural form. Alongside these works are explorations of the bull, mother and child, portraiture and other subjects that have remained close to my artistic vocabulary.
How important is the material to the final expression of a sculpture?
For me, form, volume and texture cannot really be separated from the material. Every material has its own character, resistance and possibilities. I try to understand those qualities rather than impose an entirely preconceived form upon them. Clay, plaster, bronze and other materials each demand a different physical approach.
Texture is particularly important because it creates a dialogue between light and surface. A sculptural form changes as light moves across it, so texture is not merely decoration; it contributes to the life and visual rhythm of the sculpture.
How has your approach to sculpture changed over the years?
The human figure and nature have remained fundamental influences, along with Indian artistic traditions, folk and classical forms, music and architecture. Over the years, I have moved away from thinking of sculpture simply as the representation of an object or figure. I increasingly see it as an arrangement of mass, space, movement, rhythm and light.
What dialogue do you hope develops between your sculptures and Pradip Maitra’s paintings?
I find this juxtaposition exciting because the two mediums approach visual experience very differently. Sculpture is physical and three-dimensional, while watercolour has transparency, lightness and atmosphere. I would like the works to create a dialogue rather than compete with each other. The solidity and texture of sculpture can respond to the transparency and fluidity of watercolour. Ultimately, both mediums are trying to transform an experience into a visual language.