Putting Reality In An Unrealstic Way

Born in a small village called Bhograi of Balasore District in coastal Odisha, Anup Kumar Chand had keen interest in art, especially painting, since childhood. The folk paintings of his region always provoked him to draw something or the other on the walls and the floor using rice on special occasions. His mother was his first teacher, who taught him to draw, narrated stories with moral values, sung folk songs, which inspired him to get into the field of arts and culture. Anup describes himself in a very different way, he says “I looked into myself: both inner and outer as a rural experienced modernist.”

In 1993, Anup completed his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in painting, after which he pursued his masters from Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, a princely state in Chhattisgarh. “This place changed my vision and opened my mind towards contemporary world art movement. After my MFA in 1996, I was qualified NET of UGC and obtained fellowship for research. Under the financial assistance of UGC I completed my Ph.D. on the Topic ‘Folk Paintings of Coastal Orissa’ from the same University of Khairagarh. After my research I shifted to Delhi for freelancing art practice.” says Anup. In a conversation with A.Kameshwari from One World News, Anup Kumar Chand expressed much more about his art.

Your art form is pretty different, what does it depict?

I managed to develop the structural and pictorial complexity of my art works to expose the new, more ambitious objectives. Technically, I manipulate the forms and compose on my space in a decorative/ intellectual manner. My works give momentum to changes in the environment that has been on the receiving end with regards to rampant commercialization and exploitation of visible land. Modulating the pace at which land gets divided there are elements that confluence in the medley of events growing on a day-to-day basis.

The scenes emerge from the textural backgrounds, startling in their clarity and yet, just as dramatically, they fade away. It was interesting to know the development of my each painting as I was working towards its completion. Maintaining a surreal progression of events, minimal colour fields in the background of each work provided a base for the elements to engage and develop.

Who is your inspiration?

I am inspired by nature, both the nature within me and around me. Everything, which is happening around me is motivating, and a lot of times, things from everyday’s happening get stuck in my mind, which I throw on the canvas. I love to watch the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Francis Bacon and Modigliani. In Indian context, Shyamal Dutta Ray, Anis Kapoor and Tyeb Mehta are my favourite.

What all objects you use to make an art piece?

My experience is conceptual, celebrating the true happenings within my surroundings. I am a sensitive observer Every element, even the commonest, arrest my eyes and mind. I prefer my hands to be called as the artistic slaves of my mind. I always try to maintain a sort of creative individualism in my work and also it has an aesthetic individualism of their own.

The Pata Chitra paintings/icon painting traditions from Orissa has been a constant source of enrichment for an artist that I have included in my research study at the University. Basic forms and motifs from Pata Chitra are being seen in my works, with emphasis on the use of black lines and form. But getting into the realm of the contemporary phase in Indian Art, the motifs are put against layers of modernity. The iconic intent of Pata Chita reveals itself within the contemporary rendering of the surface while maintaining a minimalistic attachment to the original form.

What message does your art-work portray?

Infants are a major part of the content in the compositions that I have envisaged. With due respect to a belief in the visual language, the composition itself is creeping saplings finding their way to the skies for affirmation and aesthetic values. To add the emotions with decorative values to the works, at the juncture the elements realize the emerging need of adapting to the changing environment. Instead of depicting the stark reality of the situation I treat subjects in a surreal phase of regenerating forms.

My body of works that find parallels in surreal transformations adapting to the engaging moment of change. Maintaining a surreal progression of events, each of my work provides a base for the elements to engage and develop with painting & drawing. Animal and insects motifs have been used as traits and frailties with human figure. There was a poetic reflection on upward mobility, all these are depict a story.

It’s at this juncture the elements realize the emergent need for adapting to the changing order. It does not take much to see adaptations in the way that the living, growing and the throbbing undertake to make survival possible. Flora and fauna take their surreal path till the time there is no need for further engagement with space. In letting larger areas of emptiness to remain, there is a breather in the mutations that could remain a solace in the hope for survival. With use of a primary palette, I further emphasize association with the land. Abundant use of gray, red, yellow, browns and blues do find a contemporary shade in the whites keeping up with contemporary handling of colour.

How effective is art as per your view to portray message to the society?

My art work is the value of future empathy of today’s life. My work is communicating the viewers about the future understanding such deviation abound in surroundings of the day that have become accepted as part of the usual. My work gives momentum to changes in the environment that have been on the receiving end due to rampant commercialisation and exploitation of visible land.

What is your next project?

I am planning for a solo show in near future with my all new works.

What drives you to paint?

The changes in nature, both the individual and the surroundings, drive me to paint. How Industrialization and modernisation is creating grave impact on the new generation’s moral values. Construction of the concrete jungles has destroyed the natural environment and the upcoming generations are driven towards the social and moral changes, so, all this has stimulated me to express.

But the best thing about my paintings is they ooze spontaneity and playfulness. Paintings explain the desire of the child to fly high, winged dog which also brings out the inherent aim of every individual to soar. In my paintings one would see a child taking a trip round the space, enjoying communicating with birds and flying with wings attached to his body. The images and imageriesxaata striking where infants’ journey into the eternal world come alive. Dragonflies, bees, butterflies, swan and other birds form the background in many of the paintings shows the painted fantasy- makes the audience stop and take notice.

What other art forms interest you?

All the art forms belongings to visual art, performing art and literary art inspire me to engage from within. But other than that I love to write poems. Listing to the classical music- both vocal and instrumental is in my regular routine. Semi classical- Thumri, Dadra, Hori is my choice. And, if I have to talk about hobby then I’ll say I love cooking and gardening as well.

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