Tough times impart great lessons, but sometimes they come as a wake up call. Delhi-born artist Nilanjan Chakravarty discovered a similar moment when he decided to become a full-fledged artist at an age of 34 years, leaving his financial career. Chakravarty wasn't a trained artist in the classical sence. He received rudimentary lessons at the age of nine, when he moved to London following his father's transfer; he spent three years learning graphic design, etching and sculpture-making.
But, when he returned to India, he did not attend any classes as the idea to convert it into a profession did not strike him then.
“Art was personal for a long period of time. Though I continued doodling and making faces on large canvases, I refrained from joining a class to learn art, nor did I ever consider making a career out of it,” he says.
After completion of his school, he studied chemistry in graduation and later MBA in finance. He then got a job in the publishing sector that allowed him an outlet. “Since I was involved in designing the product and laying out the page, I could showcase my creativity,” he explains.
However, after leaving his publishing job, he moved to a financial job, and that made him realise there was a disconnect. It was time to find his way back. Initially, he started creating gothic art (architectural art that involved use of scales to create straight lines) after a hard day at work. Most of his subjects were on the figurative realm, especially women. But, later, he experimented with art nouveau (that involves manual free-hand drawing and where the lines are curvy).
Describing the idea of choosing gothic art, he explains, “I found a certain level of beauty in it. Since I used to do it in black and white medium, I was able to add some drama to it. Working with this medium made me happy,” he says.
But when frustration reached a peak, the artist left his job in August 2016. Instead, he became a full-fledged artist. In his new role, he explored new mediums and experimented with charcoal, etching, gothic as well as acrylic colours to expand his horizons. By the end of 2016, he started showcasing his works at his then studio 'Studio by Nilanjan' at Noida, Sector 120. Thereafter, his journey continued as he participated in several group shows.
The self-taught artist is set to debut with a solo show, Anti-Mimesis, which he says means “life imitates art”. Describing his showcase, he says, “I am not imitating things the way they are, but using art as a platform to tell people to look beyond what a picture tells you.”
With 20 abstract pieces on display, the artist has chosen the theme by drawing inspiration from 'Woodstock', a four-day concert that took place in the 1960s in the US. The concert saw participation of several contemporary artists such as Pt Ravi Shankar, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix who converged to create music reflecting the political scenario, allowing people to demand a change. Now, he is also allowing people to analyse things carefully and question the existence of things the way they are.
All works have been created in acrylic colours and acrylic along with charcoal. In a piece called 'Athena', he shows the Greek goddess with closed eyes, but the background colours make her appear in violent surroundings. “It might look as an aggressive piece to some, but it is more about telling people to do self-introspection and stand for some to understand where they are,” the artist says.
Another one of his works include three pictures showing various moods of women. The first one in a seductive pose, the middle one with closed eyes and red background and last one with an angry face. But since it is Anti-Memphis, the artist in the middle picture shows the calmer side of women who is strong to take the challenges despite the mishaps in her life.
The two-day show will take place at Hafele Design Centre, Delhi and will conclude on May 27.