Forms

About Artist

The figures in my paintings are self-introspective, but in repose. One figure has his eyes closed and the other has his eyes open. They appear calm but that stillness shrouds an extraordinary inner turmoil, which comes from a desire to understand one's true self. The world in which they live is symbolized by the clouds, I call them 'Designer Clouds'. Much like the manmade mushroom clouds, these designer clouds are emblematic of human beings' imposition on Nature. These images cast their shadow on the figures, suggesting the insidious power of artifice. Chandra Bhattacharjee's canvases are languid and far removed from the urban world. Dusky men and women exist in an ethereal realm untouched by the madness of everyday city life, carrying out their daily chores. Bahttacharjee's compositions are influenced by the rural and tribal associations that he had an opportunity to work with; particularly the 'Santhal' tribe of Calcutta. The textural quality of his paintings is strongly reminiscent of the traditional mud walls of these villages, smeared with cow-dung. The colors in Bhattacharjee's paintings are at once, subdued and vibrant. Warm pinks, full-bodied blues, interspersed with blank areas, soothe the senses. He uses the technique of crosshatching (a method used more often in pencil drawings), in black, over the color; this adds depth to his colors. Bhattacharjee's paintings tell a story, but it is a story without a beginning or an end and it flows seamlessly from the artist onto the surface of the canvas. The world of Bhattacharjee's creation is without boundaries; where humans, animals and surreal creatures coexist in harmony.