Chandra Bhattacharjee (B. 1961)

Chandra Bhattacharjee (B. 1961) "I observed with wonder the rays of the autumn sun on green paddy fields, clouds gathering on the horizon, the harvesting of paddy, fisher folk at work, boat making, potters making clay dolls." 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 colours 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 colour; this adds depth to his colours. 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.