আলাপন (Alapon): Communion

আলাপন or Alapon means communion. This could be of colors and emotions. This 8” x 10” mixed media painting is an adaptation of a previous series but speaks to me better. 

পবন (Pawan): Gale

পবন or Pawan literally means the wind. This mixed media painting is 12” x 15” and it explores the boundaries of traditional landscape with figure line-art with a touch of impressionism. The name of emperor Ashoka’s steed was Pawan because of his speed. Story goes that Pawan saved the young prince’s life, breaking enemy formations with his charge and took Ashoka to sanctuary in the Himalayas. Here, Gale captures the spirit of wind and wild nature of untamed horses.

লোহিতা (Lohita): Crimsona

লোহিতা (Lohita): Crimsona is a 22” x 29” exploration in mixed media to test out a technique of brushstrokes. This is a painting where I want the audience to come very close to observe the deliberate details and also step back a bit and squint their eyes to enjoy the title. 

হেমন্ত (Hemonto) - Autumn

“Hemonto” means autumn in Bengali (my mother tongue and an eastern Indian language). The word implies not just the arrival of winter but also a beautiful season of colors and possibilities. This mixed media piece is an homage to the greatest painter of all, nature.

This piece was inspired by my tenure at the Three Sisters at Katoomba, NSW and Smithfield, QLD, Australia.

I’m posting a large image but kindly refrain from copying 🙏🏼

गच्छति (gacchati) - to go to/toward

“Gacchati” is a Pali (one of the ancient Indian languages) word that implies to move toward … now, that could be toward one’s goal or future. This mixed media piece (42” x 28”) explores duality of life. The past might have less light as it fades from memory yet, we remember bright moments. The future does imply aging/mortality … yet, wiser new realizations make us seek the unexplored light!

अहम् (Aham) - Self

अहम् (Aham) means self in Sanskrit. It is journey to discover oneself, that one is a part of all. This is a mixed media painting 21”x27”, inspired by my travels. Today we are so much focused on the ‘me’ and ‘mine’ that the realization of “self” is almost like a distant dream... we all can rise from our base emotions, look inward, into the miracles of nature, introspect and discover our true self in this infinite universe.

Double click on the image to view a larger version for a detailed view.

Concentrix

Concentrix - Our world is governed by butterfly effects, every action creates a ripple of equal and opposite reactions. Why not try to save the Greens & Blues?

Isho ঈশ

Dedicated to Lord Ganesha গণেশ ( গণ - ঈশ )

Spring Sun

The Moon Priestess

This is a mixed media 24" x 36" painting inspired by ERB's (Edgar Rice Burroughs) novels. The Sun is considered perfect and glorious, whereas Moon bears the imperfections i.e. more close to us, the flawed humans. She is the worshiper of moon, a deity that is similar to her walks of life.
Wish, I could post a larger image to show the colors and texture ranges but people use copy/paste too much :)

দ্বিতীয়া । A Brother’s Sister

This one is dedicated to my lil sis - দ্বিতীয়া. Mixed media 24" x 36", finished 18th Oct '14

দ্বার (Dwaar)

Dwaar or Doorway is another adaption of "Temptation"

তর্পণ (Torpon)

Mixed media 24" x 30" - A tribute to the master, Jackson Pollock.

তর্পণ (Torpon) or tarpan is an Indian ritual of remembering and paying respect to late gurus / ancestors/ deities by offering water (symbolizing life force).

As you see, she is not just a woman (who doesn't have the rights to perform torpon according to practiced Hinduism), her head is shaved too i.e. suggesting the sacrifice of a monk. Her accentuated front hands ... shaped like heart, suggesting homage is what matters not gender. Notice there is a straight line dividing her (not proportionately), the indication of duality of one's nature (didn't like to play with the ordho-narishwar/ half-man-half-woman concept here). She doesn't gaze at the moon, who brings peace to her heart, that which, she lavishes to her dear Earth. She doesn't look at us/viewer as her intent is to completely feel the emotion of gratitude, that is borne from the understanding of her ancestral gifts... She is naked to judgements of her imperfections, with the calmness within. Notice the side hands, they suggest praying pose outside of Hinduism i.e. the act of Torpon is for all humanity.

Union

This is an adaptation of my earlier painting "Biporit"... yeah I love riot of colors!

"The world is not dialectical - it is sworn to extremes, not to equilibrium, sworn to radical antagonism, not to reconciliation or synthesis. This is also the principle of evil."
Jean Baudrillard

প্রচ্ছন্ন (Pro-chhonno) Veiled

প্যাঁচানো (Peñchæno): Reticulated

Me and my paintings, both are sorta twisted...here goes "Reticulated" in mixed media.
We always tend to focus...majorly in the center. The idea here, is not to have the observer focus on a single section of the painting... in my BFF's words "Roving Eyes" :)

জটাধারী (JotaDhaari): Dreadlock hermit

Mixed Media: Pensil on paper, wee bit touched up in photoshop.
As a kid, I used to be quite a handful and my quite natured Thammu(Gramma) used to pacify me with self-made stories... JotaDhaari used to take the cake! I would imagine all sorts of fearful men/hermits who would take naughty kids away in distant mountains(I only heard about the Himalayas as a child) to teach a lesson for bothering adults.

... miss you Thammu and your stories!

Temptation

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."  ~Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

Remembering Steve Jobs

Today is Bijoya Doshomi, the day Ma Durga goes away from her children for a year - a pang every Hindu/Bengali feels... But I can't fathom more a loss than losing Steve. My humble way of saluting my Guru!

Mind races back to the day I got to shake your hand at the Cupertino meeting, that was a blessed day. Rest in peace, my Hero.

স্মৃতি (Smriti): Melancholy Memories

Remembering Maqbool Fida Husain (17 September 1915 – 9 June 2011)

Today India lost one of her gems, in my humble offering, I salute him.

রক্তিম (Roktim): A Sunset

Oil on wood board 1' x 2'

Schmaltzed Neonate

The original is 9" x 7" - prints available
Took a little creative liberty on "Neonate"

রবিতরু (RobiToru)

Mixed Media - This is a homage to the eternal Bengali Poet, Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore (Bengali: রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর, Robindronath Ţhakur) [7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941].

My personal belief is no-one can truly realize "Bengalis" without reading Tagore, please encourage youngsters to read the poets works.



বিগত ২৫শে বৈশাখ

সকালে উঠে থেকে শুনতাম দাদুর রেডিওতে,
স্কুলের দুপুরে ঘুমের ভান করে মার ক্যাসেটে|
লোঢসেডিং এর আঁধারে  ঠাম্মুর গুনগুনানিতে,
চোখ বুজে আসার আগে ছাতে কাকুর সেতারে!

শুধূ তোমাকেই শুনেছিলাম,
তখন বুঝিনী হয়তো!
আজ তোমাকে লেখা পাতায় খুঁজি,
পেলেও বা, সেই সময়ের তোমায় নারি!

তোমায় যারা পুজো করতো
আজ তারা নেই,
যারা আছে, ছায়া মাত্র;
কায়ায় কথা আছে, সুর নেই !

চাঁদনী কল্লোলিনী: Chaadni Kollolini

Pastel on panel - Lord knows who has the original? Found a digital copy of my college days work...

Paintings to bring smile to a Child's face

Hello Friends and Art Lovers,

Recently, I discovered my art can do a little bit more than become a decorative piece at someone's collection or means of expression for me. I joined the Smile train (World's Leading Cleft Surgery Charity for Children) and they have graciously accepted my humble collection of paintings for sale/auction - proceeds will go to the children who deserve to smile.

I wish, I could appeal to Mr. Gates for some help but I am a limited man with little means! So I turn to my friends and MNCs with CSR programs - MAYBE YOU CAN HELP?

My paintings are not the reason but the excuse to help the deserving. Those of you who know me, by now know I always participate in small ways to help so please drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with Smile Train directly (that way you know I'm not stealing your gift to the children). We are what we make ourselves to be by our actions...or so I believe!

উপত্যাকা (Upottaka): Valley

Panel painting - changes color and shows a different angle with change of light.

বিপরীত (Biporit): Opposite

Life is an intimate mix of opposites and complementary colors. Oil, Acrylic, Lusture paint on Wood - 1' x 3'

ত্রিলয় (Triloy): TrioApocalypse

Indian mythologies talks about Apocalypse brought by Bramha, Vishnu and Maheshwar - all that was pure from origin and all that of sin mix together, to from the whole element of God/Bhomho.

যুগল (Jugol): Couple

What is more interesting than the journey of two souls uniting?
~ To my precious ones, who chose to overlook all my flaws.
Oil, Acrylic, Lusture paint on Wood - 3' x 4'

পাতার জীবন (Patar Jibon): Life of a Leaf

A journey from Spring to Fall.

কলিকা (Kolika)

The word কলিকা (Kolika) means a ‘bud’ i.e. the promise of the flower to come. I was born in Kolkata(Calcutta). This picture brings in the symbols of myths of Manasha (the female serpent deity), embracing the culture of Tagore, the church cathedral backyard near which I loose myself often to the bitter sorrow melancholy separation pang of my childhood and the icon of the city… the old Howrah bridge. This is 24” x 36” mixed media painting involving - gouache, acrylic, holi colors, oil, threads, gauze and glass.

Unfortunately, a Soho gallery chipped off a corner of the glass in 2011 so this piece doesn’t travel to exhibitions anymore.

রোমন্থন প্রতিবিম্ব (Romonthon Protibimbo): Reflection

At one point, man is beyond suffering - tested by surrounding and fate - at that moment, one awaits the inevitable truth reflecting upon the Life past.

This is dedicated to the forgotten holocaust of India - a year long famine artificially created by World War Hero, Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, killing more than THREE MILLIONS in 1943. 

সুর্য সলিল (Shurjo Sholil): Sun Under Water

Abstract paintings can be best seen when one squints their eyes...
~ To my sweet lil sis, for all the fights and giggles (who likes to call this painting "Winter Sun")
Oil and Acrylic paint on Wood - 1' x 2'

আরোহী (Arohi): One who Climbs

Ancient Egyptians believed Life was like the stages of a river. One who rides the wave of time...

Bridge

There is always a bridge...Light to Dark, Past to Future and Love to Hate.

Chalice

সীমান্তের বাইরে (Shimanter Baire): Beyond the Horizon

When all fades away, all that is left is the conscience of "self"/Aham and its experiences.

দিশা (Disha): Direction

পুষ্পক (Pushpok): Flower

This is dedicated to this special day in our life.

ফুলদানি (Fuldani): Vase

Noon Raatri

পত্রিকা (Potrika): Leaf

Be the blade of direction or the colorful experience of Life...I am but just a leaf!

স্ত্রী (Stree): Wife/woman

Enlightenment

Some are born wise and others go through various phases to attain Enlightenment.

Ghorer Kheya - Ferry to home

Returned at dusk.

জীবনী শক্তি (Jiboni Shokti): Life Force

When all is taken away... Hope and the Power of "Life"(Chi/Gaya/Life force) itself strives to sustain the odds.

Lal Nouko - The Red Boat

Though the boat isn't painted red, it draws the 'Sindoor' red from the sky in its dark wood tint. Saw an amazing sunset at Pune, which inspired this.

Shondha Tara - Pole Star

Amidst the dark and Grey it draws me to something beautiful

পাল তোলা (Pal Tola): Sails drawn

পাল তোলা literally means the canvas sails are drawn. However, when rushing to one's home...each extra moment is a loss. The original was lost to a storage unit fire in Bronx, NYC so I decided to replace it with this 8” x 10” mixed media experiment.