Artist Kalicharan Gupta’s paintings, assembled in these series of representational abstractions reflect a microcosm of experiences and points of view of life in a metropolis that emphasise the powerful effectiveness of the visual view as a tool for contemporary discourse.
In an attempt to showcase what he believes in, he is organising a solo art exhibition Titled ‘Myth of Metropolis’ in the national capital.
The event was inaugurated on January 5 by Kim Kum Pyoung, Director, Korean Cultural Centre India. Guests who were seen appreciating the art works were Niren Sen Gupta, Saba Hassan, Kavita Jaiswal, Kim Kum Pyoung, Uma Nair, Meeta Pandit and Sidharth Tagore.
Artist Kalicharan Gupta’s solo show at Art Konsult is a study of abstraction within the idea of urban chaos, migration and development.
Canvasses in the gallery are a quaint and curious mix of colour and deep formations of a million little windows. “Over the years my works were born out of my observations of people that I saw in places that I had visited” says Kalicharan.
“I have always had an interest in studying working populations wherever I went. From that interest my observations always went deeper into their lifestyles and the simplicity of their everyday being. Years ago I had gone to Orissa –and visited the Behrampur district-I saw the tribals-I was deeply moved by their lifestyle. They stored grains in one place-and they lived on the principle of sharing –each family picked what they needed –I was amazed at the idea of selflessness. Over the next few days I realized that their lives were molded according to their to their needs and they did everything according to the little they had. Everything they did was for daily sustenance,” he adds.
Curator Uma Nair states: “Looking at the canvasses we realize that Kalicharan is giving us a visual narrative of tackling issues of the environment, fine lines and colour zones and dark and light tonalities sometimes spookily rendered , give rise to thoughts of global warming and man’s current rate of effect on planet Earth. With his From the Window series it is as if he has painted the sky and the scene that is reflected in chaotic confusion. Closer scrutiny show that we could think of many things –it could be a factory in the distance that pumps out smoke, while in the foreground a smog of infinite details beckon us and we could imagine it being observed by a tethered sparrow resting on a withered branch.”
His Celebration series make us think of how human beings have been recording their own existence and experiences at least since the creation of the cave paintings. Embellished through ritual and passed on through generations, myths and tales have formed beliefs and offered escape from the mundane.
The vehicle of story enhances empathy and creates catharsis while giving the viewer the opportunity to suspend disbelief through the medium of visual narrative. Kalicharan’s Celebration series gives us the dichotomy.