After a long hiatus, cerebral experimental painter Anukul Chandra Majumdar is holding a solo painting exhibition in the city. His last solo art show was held at Shilpangan Art Gallery in 2010.
The USP of Anukul’s paintings is an in-depth observation of rural Bengal- simple harmonic patterns, pastoral motifs, a tranquil atmosphere and childhood nostalgia.
Anukul is recognised for portraying inner conflict through his remarkable paintings. The central theme of his work often focuses on facial expressions and the human body. His latest paintings depict motherhood, the six seasons and their impact on nature, childhood and rustic ambiance.
The artist traces his roots to a very remote area of Bagherhat. Swimming, fishing or roaming around the village were regular activities that occupied his childhood days. He reminisces on his childhood with the paint brush on canvas. Compared to the village, the city seemed dull and inanimate. So he created a language for his paintings, where he focused on struggles, pain and isolation. Anukul now lives in a small but artistically laid out house-atelier at Mohammadpur. He draws from his imagination rather than employing models. Figures in motion and incomplete human forms are noticeable elements in his works. His subjects have a semi-realistic and surrealistic quality about them. He also marks coarse lines with his fingers to add his sense of poetry to the paintings. He favors acrylic, oil, mixed media, pastel and charcoal medium. The colours black, blue, yellow, vermilion and crimson dominate his work.
Anukul’s paintings are accentuated with lots of curves and twisted lines, often featuring bold, brutal and horrifying imagery. He does not hesitate to draw what is conventionally considered ‘ugly’. Unattractive appearance, obese figures, languid eyes and unshapely forms feature heavily in his paintings. People running towards an unknown destination, embracing figures, sleeping women, awe-inspiring forms, nature in an unadulterated state, broken rickshaw, and foliage in abandon are other recurring subjects. His roots for the life force and power in the abstract. His images are prominent, determined, and capture forceful motion — almost in its rawness — and at times are unmindful of directions. His desires, emotions, hopes and aspirations are strongly allied with the masses of our country. He wants to focus especially on masses’ strengths, their dreams and love for the country.
“Fervent Woman”, one of his favourite paintings depicts detailed visages of women. The work also features smooth ground and carries varied tones on different parts of the canvas. The painter has taken considerable time to create the foundation of this piece. Another of his pet paintings “Admiration and Affection” reveals twisted figures in black. One part of the painting is elaborate with numerous curves and blurred shapes. Appearing in motion, his subjects have a realistic attachment with lines — articulating sorrow and profound romanticism.