Painting surreal expressions on canvas

Pegasus Art Gallery is conducting an exhibition titled ‘Images on the Wall- II’. A total of 10 artists from across the country are showcasing their work.

The participating artists are Chandana Khan, Subhas Babu, Albert Ashok, Biplab Roy, Dr Dinabandhu Sahoo, Ashis Nandy, Manoj Samanta, Shubhashish Das, Rajesh Sutradhar and Bidisha Das.

As a part of it, 36 paintings and seven sculptures are on display. The works exhibit a varied range of flavours from regional style and technique to contemporary and thought-provoking surrealist expressions.

Most of the works in the gallery are done in acrylic colour on canvas, contents are nature, human life, and some are abstract and figurative.

Artist Albert Ashok, from Kolkata, who works on figurative and surrealist paintings, says “I am a contemporary contributor, I have my own style, using geometry, fantasy and from elements of subconscious (surrealist).

I admire figurative depiction of my stylised forms of humans and animals. My theme of the painting is our contemporary world, everyday happenings, violation of human rights, and oppression of government and political outrages. From 2014 I am working on a series of painting called ‘Human, Humanoid in Wonderland’.”

“I am presenting four works here, which are about different forms of fantasy and are built out of my philosophy, where the pastoral cows contain the metropolitan violence and complexities and the bathing women reveal their lyrical and bucolic charm,” adds Albert Ashok.

Whereas Dr Dinabhandhu Sahoo from Orissa, is a medicine specialist by profession and a freelance artist says, “I do not have any source of learning art so I learnt it from nature and I created different colours.

It gives me immense self-satisfaction when I create something new in a painting. Creativity cures my anxiety. I use both watercolours and acrylic on canvas.

The spread of watercolour in the handmade paper is like magic and colours which approach to the acrylic on canvas gives amazing result beyond artist vision.

My first work ‘External Love’ shows two souls in a pious relationship of love, another one ‘Pain’ indicates the characters in a deep agency and anxiety that are in a painful crisis.

Third is ‘Joy Seller’, which shows the character who is suffering from poverty but still loves to make others happy, and the last is ‘The Human Tiger’ which defines human has an evil quality that at times comes out.”

Another artist Subhasis Das from Kharagpur says, “I use oil colours, acrylic colours and mixed medium on canvas. I always sketch the reflection of our society and the surroundings.

My portrayed figures tell about the poor class and their life, they do not resist and protest against at any odds or troubles come in their life. They simply, pass by keeping themselves busy in their own work.”

Tripura-based artist Rajesh Sutradhar says, “Usually my paintings are based on the current problems like corruption, harassment of women, etc. The theme of my painting is miniature, realistic and society.

I want to create consciousness among people regarding the social problems, environmental problems, etc. Painting gives me a sense of pleasure when I paint.”

Another artist, Ashis Nandy from Purulia said, “Painting is a normal part of my life. I can’t live without art. My style of painting is mythology in Indian style.

My painting is based on mythology because of the rich story of Mahabharata inspires me a lot. They have a fertile brain by which they should adapt any kind of critical condition and they should be rigid in their own principles.”

When: Till November 20
Where: Pegasus Art Gallery
Time: From 4 -8 pm