46 p9 artwork barnalisaha dc interview

8/14/2019 46 P9 Artwork BarnaliSaha DC Interview

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Palki 9 @ calcuttans.com/palki February 14, 2010

Profile of an Artist by Barnali Saha

When it comes to art, why does contemporary abstract art have to get all

the glory? A study of artist Dithi Chakrabortty's artwork reveals that it is

steeped in the richness of traditional Bengali culture which makes the

contemporary abstractions seem lightweight in comparison. Dithi

Chakrabortty (ne Mukherjee) is a versatile artist currently living in

Geneva, Switzerland with her family. Her unique voice and technique find

perfect expression in her canvas on which she often paints the silhouette

of Bengal. The most important aspect of her art is that it is both personal

and progressive. At the turn of the millennium, as traditional art parleys

with modern artistic airwaves, let us see what Dithi has to say about her

work.

Dithi, tell us a little about yourself.

Dithi: Well, I am a full-time artist, now living in Geneva with my husband.

I was born in Bardhamaan where I spent much of my childhood. I have

studied Nutrition and went to college (masters in Nutrition) in Kolkata.

After college, I married Arnab and moved to Delhi. Soon after, we

relocated to Mumbai for a most wonderful, five maximum-city years

before we moved, yet again, to a much quieter but really beautiful

Geneva. I worked as a Nutritionist in Mumbai and am now a full-time,

self-representing artist.

When and how did you get attracted to the world of art?

Dithi: Art was an essential part of my growing up and, in my family, any

creative expression was much encouraged and appreciated by both my

father and mother. My two elder sisters are gifted painters. I remember

watching Boro-mamu (our eldest maternal uncle) as he worked on

pencil sketches through the languid holiday afternoons leaving the

sketches behind for us to keep. His techniques were nothing short of a

professional artist at work. There are other similar inspirations in myfamily. I would be put to shame any day by the art-work done by some of

my cousins and hanging in their Kolkata homes! Samar-da, and his

bohemian ways of artistic expression (I write of him later), was yet

another source of inspiration. It was not a question of being attracted to

art; it was more about art being part of who I am and where I come from.


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Do you have any formal training at any art school?

Dithi: I have not attended art school. In fact, I never planned to go

professional with art! The only art training I received was in a private art-

school in Bardhamaan way back in early school. We had the most

inspiring teacher in Samar-da, a true artist and an inspiring personality,

who would never restrict our new-found leaps of creativity and

imagination to the codes of perspective, balance, harmony, colour-charts,but let us enjoy our time with our drawing books and boxes of Camlin

colours. It was a most unusual but magical experience that may be quite

unthinkable in todays age of performance-oriented steroid-fed training.

In each class, one of the things Samar-da did was take a blank page, draw

free-hand margins around the page and in an impeccable Bengali

handwriting, write down on the top right corner of the page, Mon theke

which, as you know, in Bengali means From your imagination. Those

Sunday mornings may not have been so much about studying art but

about loving and enjoying art.I am self-taught and continue to study and try to learn. Yes, I

believe in the importance of training to develop a sound understanding

of art and to build skills in technique and materials, but I dont think that

art school is the only answer to that.

What is the medium of your paintings?

Dithi: Acrylic paints. It is a really fun and versatile medium to work with. I

occasionally enjoy working on mixed media and love doing pencil

sketches as well.

Most of your paintings feature a series of traditional Bengali motifs,

what are your thoughts on your subject matter?

Dithi: I am mostly drawn to depicting India on my canvas. And more

recently, the focus has been totally and almost exclusively moving

towards Bengal and all things that are Bengali! I think all of this is really

about a part of me trying to connect with my roots and about me missing

home.

Name a few artists and tell us how their works influenced you and yourstyle?

Dithi: I love art nave, bold usage of color, simple themes and the rustic-

warm-earthy feel to a painting. I admire Gauguin and Van Gogh for their

incredible use of color; Klimt for design, composition and detail; Frida for

her honesty and courage in story-telling to name a few. So far as the

Bengal school is concerned, Ramananda is an all-time favorite; I love

what he said about the inspiration for his palette, the green of the


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betel leaf, the limes white, the catechus brown and the red of the juice

of chewed pan that turned my mothers lips into a pair of pure gems.

Also, folk artists from different cultures and states of India, irrespective of

the medium, hugely inspire me.

All of your paintings are so vibrant

Dithi: Yes, I love using strong Indian colors, earthy and warm tones andpatterns in my paintings. I am inspired by the orange of marigolds, the

reds and pinks of hibiscuses, the colors and patterns of traditional Indian

textiles and fabrics; there is art and design interwoven into the Indian

lifestyle so deeply that one can hardly escape being influenced and

inspired by it.

In a world where the artistic landscape is experiencing a tectonic shift

everyday with people producing a myriad of modern artistic styles, how

do you defend your art?

Dithi: The appreciation and support that I get from people who see my

work, people who write to me the most wonderful emails and words of

encouragement, the feedback that I get on my blog, the support and

response to my online shop: that is my defence. Art should be something

that is an expression, rather, extension, of an artists personality and

sensibilities, not something that is dictated and controlled or something

that is in constant need of being approved and deemed worthy by some

others.

We know you live in Geneva; does this foreign land motivate the styleof your painting?

Dithi: Leaving India and coming to stay outside, that too in a French-

speaking part of Europe, was anything but easy. Taking up my

paintbrushes and starting to art-journal was a coping mechanism. So, in

all fairness, Geneva is the place where my journey as a professional artist

began. The city with all its poise and tranquility certainly helps create a

certain mood and ambience that makes for a great canvas for making art.

Living here motivates me not in such a direct, obvious way, but in that I

feel the need to go back to India through painting a Bengali lady or aMaa-Lokkhi (Goddess of Prosperity) with her lokkhi-pencha (the wise

white owl) or even an Indian parakeet. Every painting has a story to tell

from my childhood or a song or a poetry that inspired me at some point

of time.


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How does your family encourage your art quest?

Dithi: I have the most supportive and encouraging family. In fact, it was

my father who insisted that I take up painting again, after I sort of lost

touch over the years between making home and working as a

nutritionist, etc. I have the most amazing partner who stands by me and

my decisions no matter what. Painting can be a rather expensive

proposition in a place like Geneva and things get even worse when youare limited by language and a restricted understanding of the industry

here. I would have probably given up had it not been for the support of

my family.

What could we expect from your artistic threshold in future.

Dithi: My work has given new meaning to my life, given me a new

identity, brought into my life some really inspiring artists and friends. I

want to continue honing my skills, train myself to be better and certainly

do meaningful work that tells a story, my story.

Let us know how can we get update of your recent works of art.

Dithi: I post my work and updates on my blog; the best way to get

updates each time I post is to follow the blog. I sell my work (mostly

prints and some paintings) through my online shop. Apart from this, I

upload photos on my Flickr page and videos every once in a while on my

YouTube channel (you can subscribe and get updates each time I upload

a new video). Here are the links:

Blog: deezden.blogspot.com

Shop: www.deezden.etsy.com

FlickR: www.flickr.com/photos/deezden

We are happy to feature this interview in Palki, as a fitting tribute to a Bengali artiste

who was born on the day we are releasing the special themed edition of Palki. Below

are a few samples of Dithis recent creations. Anyone interested in purchasing prints

or originals may contact her through her online links. On behalf of Palki, we thank

Dithi Chakrabortty for graciously giving us her time, and also thank Barnali Saha for

ideating and conducting the interview.


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Maa Annapurna

Maa Lokkhi


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Ganesh (sketch)

Durga (sketch)


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Batua

Maa-meye

46 p9 artwork barnalisaha dc interview

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