ধন (Dhan): Wealth

This painting is dedicated to Dhanteras (धनतेरस /ধনতেরাস) or Dhanatrayodashi, which actually is the date/time/tithi ascribed to the birth of Dhanvantari ( धन्वन्तरि / ধন্বন্তরি) — the God/godess of Medicine (who appeared during Samudra Manthan, with the bowl of Amrita in hand). The Dhan धन/ধন/wealth was considered to be Aayu (lifespan) and “wellbeing” aided by medicine. It really NEVER was about material wealth aka buying spree of commodities and precious metals. Please don’t get duped by this hollow commercialized mall culture imported from capitalist mindset. Wishing everyone a happy Dhanatrayodashi! May your health be the best wealth.

Following is a digital media painting only available as canvas prints.

বিজয়া (Bijoya): Victorious

বিজয়া (Bijoya) literally means, a lady who is victorious, in Bengali language. Culturally, it is attributed to the final day (Vijaya Dashami) of battle where the goddess Durga defeats darkness with her devine light. The cultural heritage of Bengal revolves around this celebration and the people wait an entire year to see Ma Durga. 

Lately this celebration has become more about exhibiting oneself… the significance of light defeating dark in the form of the mother Goddess, has become totally secondary. It might have been just any other celebration where selfie and flex culture takes over traditions, heritage and sobriety.

I’m just a guy to pick up the brush to paint what I see… the audience might disagree or agree, this is just my social satire on a medium I’m comfortable with.

In the end, this is a 14” x 28” mix media contemporary painting, with some impressionistic experimentation in the background.

ETERNAL TRANSFORMATION - Installation concept

Just submitted this installation concept to The Wassergarten Reden (Water garden of Grube Reden) for the industrial monument in the Schiffweiler, Saarland of Germany. Historically this was the site of former Grube Reden coal mine. I sincerely hope that this idea finds a home at Reden.

কুন্তী (Kunti): The Sun Worshipper

কুন্তী or Kunti was a character of the Mahabharata.She tried to be an ideal mother of the protagonists, Pandavas. Alas, she was only a human… this piece explores the human nature of that character. 

Since her husband, king Pandu, was unable to procreate, with his consent, she worshiped the Devas and became “blessed” with three of the eldest Pandavas. During her maiden years, Kunti had served the ill tempered sage, Rishi Durvasa. As a reward, the mighty rishi taught a sacred mantra to invoke any Devas to bear powerful demigod sons with them. As a playful young maiden, she wanted to test the mantra, before her marriage and invoked the Sun god, SuryaDeva. This resulted her having her first child - Karna - whom she abandoned to regain social acceptance. Karna, later becomes the tragic antihero; who is one of the most phenomenal warriors of that time, charitable to a fault, loyal to his friend resulting to his utter demise.

This mix media painting, 14” x 28”, captures the inception moment of Karna. 

Apologies for not uploading a high resolution image. Found out, people are downloading and using my creation. However, you can click on the image to zoom and see the detail of the brushworks.

Here's the 'Making of Kunti' on popular demand :)

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (aham brahmāsmi) — I’m All and all is me

 aham brahmāsmi (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि / অহং ব্রহ্মাস্মি) is a Mahāvakya (one of the summaries) of the Upanishads from the Yajur Veda. It means, “I am Brahman” or ‘I’m the Divine’. The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta implies the oneness of the individual self (Atman) with the universal reality (Brahman).

This mix media painting 8.44” x 6” is my humble articulation and visualization of the Mahāvakya. I look forward to your interpretation of this canvas, as comments.

তিয়াদি (Tia Di)

Dear তিয়াদি (Tia Di),

We miss you!

Didn’t know that someday I’ll paint this. Had I been gifted, would write a requiem, a music that matched your passion for Life. You were always full of Life. Please accept my humble homage inspired by your love for colors. Fondly remembering the days in the foothills of himalaya.

Our love goes to Krishna Kaki, Soumya Da, Tisha, Priyanka and Mitadru from Saumya, Arnab and Chirantan.

This mix media painting is 24” x 26” and product of a night of silence.

The Namesake

A renowned oncologist from the US happens to be my namesake and someone I respect like an elder brother. How does one repay the kindness of a doctor who is dedicated to fight against cancer and against all odds, save the precious human lives? Simply, not possible to repay this brave heart with the kindest touch. Hence, in my humble way, I’ve dedicated this 18” x 24” mixed media painting to Chirantan Da. It happens to be that Dr. Ghosh hails from my hometown, Kolkata. In this portrait, I have attempted to capture the cultural heritage of Bengali lifestyle in the quintessential old Kolkata backdrop.

কল্মষমোষিণি (Kolmosh-moshini): Vanquisher of Darkness

 কল্মষমোষিণি in Bengali means the one who brings about the end of sins or darkness. This adjective is bestowed upon the deity, mother Durga, who brings the end of — Mahisashur (all powerful demon) signifying our own inner darkness. She is the mother who helps us overcome all darkness, and nurtures with light and the greens of creation. This 15” x 11” mixed media canvas is homage to my Bengali heritage, it is a creative expression of sincere respect.

Pehelgam

This 12” x 24” mixed media painting is my reaction to the massacre of Pehelgam, where innocent tourists were gunned down by terrorists. Lost a colleague, who was there with his wife and son! The biggest disappointment and disillusionment were the lack of outcomes [1 May 2025]… the colors speak for themselves and of my emotions.

উড়ন্ত (Uronto): Flying

উড়ন্ত (Uronto) literally means flying… for me it’s more than that. It’s also about freedom, precision and engineering marvel of nature. This is a 18” x 24” mixed media painting inspired from my visit to Düsseldorf Kunst im Tunnel and the Sundarban region of Bengal.

Dragonflys are amazing flyers, they can fly 20-35 miles/ hour (30-55 Km/hour), have almost 360• view, turn on dime, fly backwards while in flight. However, the blue-tailed bee-eater catcher still plucks it out of the sky… such is nature. So let’s enjoy the time we have for carefree flight.

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. To me, this is an attempt to bridge the gap between earthly and ethereal, the individual and the universal.

The title, Alapon, is rooted in the Indian classical music traditions, refers to the slow improvisational introduction to a raga - a space void of lyrics - only an exploration of notes. Once paired with Communion, we explore the true spiritual or human connection - excluding dialogue - that exists in the “pre-speech” of the soul… the resonance of silence.

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

গণেশ ( গণ - ঈশ ) Dedicated to Lord Ganesha

Spring Sun

This is a mixed media painting done on a wooden panel with a compatible range of acrylic colors that blend well with the organic powder colors used in Holi festival. Imagine, if you were taking a dip in a clear pool and looked up from beneath the surface of the water.

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. 

A verse in Sanskrit meant to be used in the ritual of tarpan says, “ॐ सर्व पितृ देवताभ्यो नमः।” meaning, ‘Om, (our/my) salutations to all ancestors (who are now considered enlightened beings. ‘Deva’ doesn’t always mean God/deity; it also refers to beings who are now in an enlightened plane/stage of understanding the true meaning of creation and its purpose). Hence, one can simplistically say the act of tarpan is paying homage.

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

This is a digital media art inspired during the Durga Pujas.

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 (Grandma) 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

This is a mixed media painting quite close to my heart.

“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. This is an oil, acrylic and holi pigment paints on unprimed wood.

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

কনীনিকা পুষ্পক (KoniNika Pushpok): Iris Flower

This painting is dedicated to this special day in my life. The painting is mixed media, 24” x 24” canvas, a re-take of the original canvas lost to fire in Bronx, New York. Bittersweet emotions that are born in the endless waters of the sea, when one craves land… just a flower can change your life just then.

Iris here is the symbol of stability, beauty and home.