“In art, a man reveals himself not his objects.”
These lines by Tagore, one of the most renowned personalities in the field of music and literature, remains unfazed and stands true to its words.
You create art from within. Like a flowing river, it is only pushed aside and redirected by our thoughts and actions. With a majority of the artists that I have interacted within recent times, one thing I am certain about: art is natural. You can’t force yourself to create it but let it happen organically. An expression of your inner self, a communication mode to put your thoughts out there, bare and naked for the world to perceive it as they wish to and accept another dimension to it.
Sourya Chakrabarti, our BE INSPIRED artist of this month, is one such dynamic person who bleeds through his art. While I will venture into his artwork a little later, I would love to give a quick insight into his profession and how the realm of illustration fascinated him.
Sourya, hailing from a Bengali family, had an inclination towards art and literature right out of the cradle. Having studied Mass Communications and Journalism, followed by International relations at the University of Bath, he currently works as a business development executive ( Internal communications) at a firm in Qatar. He has also formerly worked for Mercedes Benz and Oryx Advertising before finalising on his current professional space. Also with a touch of satire, he is a true blue Bengali with a liking for drawings and paintings, music, culinary art and sarcasm.
Oh, and yes, his puns are always intended!
His journey as an artist began when he unhesitatingly doodled on the architectural drawings that belonged to his Uncle, only to realise it later about the damage that he had already done. He had been enamoured by human anatomy initially, where he began to draw and doodle human musculature. However as he developed a strong affinity towards the art form gradually, Sourya began attending exhibitions and workshops during his college days and researched about doodle and illustrations on the internet.
Here’s an excerpt of the interview with the artist himself.
#1 What is the concept behind your illustrations and artwork?
It is a derivative of symbolism with Pagan belief systems. Also, I try to incorporate some contemporary elements combining linework in unison to make the art relevant.
#2 How do you work for orders or client requests?
It is mostly an amalgamation of what the client likes and how I re-imagine and create it. So I ask the client to let me know a few things that they would like in the work and then I recreate it by adding a touch of my sense and style. Many a time, it is associated with pop culture and classical history which influences the art form.
#3 Have you received any formal training from any acknowledged artist or art institutes?
No, I haven’t. I do not quite like the idea of art being taught by another individual. It limits your imagination and creative exploration since you stick to the basic fundamentals of the teachings. I would always suggest people research about your art, do vigorous learning but find your niche on your own!
#4 What is the armamentarium needed for the kind of artwork you do?
The volume and quality of work that I am doing currently I.e contemporary detailed illustrations, you need a good set of quality fine liners, geometry equipment, 300 GSM paper or more and a penchant for creative linkages. Sometimes a splash of colour also works wonders.
#5 What has been the turning point in this artistic journey?
I received a lot of recognition post my win at the People’s Choice Awards for my artwork at the University of Bath. The gallery exhibition boosted my morale and helped me develop a good work circle comprising of interesting people with a penchant for art.
#6 How much has your core friends and family circle influenced you?
Oh! Families are meant to be there. They have been incessantly supportive of my indulgences in various fields like music, art, literature or for that matter even my professional choices. They have left no stone unturned to ensure that I get enough exposure towards art and hone my skills.
#7 Who has been your source of inspiration or mentor throughout this journey?
My family has been my greatest source of inspiration. I have an ancestral lineage who is well known in the country for their invaluable contributions to their respective fields. I aspire nothing but to be like them and leave a mark before going. I have not had mentors in particular but have been fortunate enough to be blessed with good wishers. Also, the Bengali culture does not fail to amaze me. It motivates me to experiment and diversify my art, keep on doing better and acing my game.
#8 What do you enjoy the most?
Emerging trends, heart to heart genuine conversations about creative ventures with people with similar interests.
And yes, good food probably?
#9 What is your mantra for success?
Try everything and neglect nothing. Keeping an open mind.
#10 Any achievement you are proud of?
My greatest achievement is to be able to make people smile the moment they see my artwork. There is nothing that compares to the satisfaction you receive on being appreciated.
#11 Your future plans?
A long-term goal is to open an art cafe in Kolkata supporting regional artists and those without any aide to showcase their work free of cost.
#12 Any advice to aspiring artists in this field?
Experiment constantly with art and your choices in life. You will know it when you’ve found your calling. And next what, you’d ask!
And then just go for it, pursue it with diligence and perseverance.
After a round of question and answers, I come up with the last query asking him his most favourite work. He says he has 2 of them, that hold a really special place in his collection.
One is a religious artwork, his first work in this category. A depiction of Goddess Durga which was done for the Bengali Association of Kerala. It has an inclusion of cohorts than the deities themselves with a mention of Lord Ganesha since he has an introductory significance in it.
His second favourite work would be for a Japanese client based in Italy who had asked for a Gothic imagery surrounding a geisha. And since that’s his forte, this doodle art was a feather on the cap since he was doing it for a native client.
One look at his artwork and you see a portrayal of stark elements depicting strength, usually combining different forms of living beings. I haven’t seen anybody doing such detailed and intricate doodle work. No wonder his Instagram handle has about 23k followers and the family seems to be growing rapidly.
We wish Sourya more success along the way and hope he keeps reaching new heights.
To find his work on Instagram, follow him @thedetailier. Also, you could just drop in a DM, he is kind enough to reply immediately.
Content developed by Likhnewali_womaniya. Follow her on Instagram to read more about her writings.
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