Painful strokes of livelihood

“Migration, particularly urban working class, and the life of the migrants have fascinated me right through my growing years. On a personal level I relate to this segment because my parents migrated from Bangladesh. I portray those poignant memories though my works, which was a burning desire even when I was pursuing my masters.”

With such an agenda to drive him and motivational levels, city-based artist Biswajit Roy makes exemplary statements on canvas making use of Gouache and Printmaking techniques that capture a multitude of emotions. Themed appropriately as ‘Memories of Migration’, the solo art exhibition opened to popular response at Gallery Space late Saturday evening.

Born in New Jalpaiguri 32 summers back, Roy’s themes principally revolve around migrants and his own childhood memories. “This show will enjoy a special place in my heart because this is the first solo exhibition I am having in the city, where I fine-tuned my artistic skills and grew in stature,” points out Roy.

His works are subtle and layered with historical and social references that he narrates by way of visual metaphors. Roy has exhibited his works in several group shows since debuting in Kolkata in 2009. His painting ‘Nostalgia’ as the name denotes, is a trip down memory lane. “It is pretty special as I won a national award last year for this work. The medium I used has been wood cut print and acrylic on canvas,” he shares.

He is attracted by the compositional settings from Van Gogh's ‘Starry Nights’ from where he took a lead while portraying his family and kliegs (friends) back in Bangladesh. The 1648 masterpiece by Nicolas Poussin has been the inspiration for ‘Holy Family on the Steps’.

The three large canvasses, which he has collectively titled ‘Bahurupi’, according to Roy, rekindle memories of the past through his works and keep him in good spirits.

“People who migrate to a city, due to a variety of social factors, are treated shabbily by the city that they choose to make their home. This truth is what I intend to represent through the woodcut print in the background of my works. The use of wood-cut print gives a different dimension and adds to the atmosphere that I seek to portray,” explains Roy while dwelling about his workmanship.

“It pains me when I see migrants dressing up as gods or painting their faces, just to make a living. They always seek to add color to their lives, which offers nothing but hardships and challenges, which never seem to deter them, even though they spend their lives on the pavements and the side-walks of a city that always treats them with utmost severity and harshness,” rues the artist, who besides churning out a dexterous array of works also hopes to produce the next generation of artists.

What: Memories of Migration art exhibition
Where: Gallery Space, Road No 12, Banjara Hills
When: Until March 2 between 11.30am and 7pm

By Heena Mishra