"Living Below the Clouds"

I am a practising visual artist based out of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. My artistic trail is almost two decades old. My first artistic inclinations ignited from my early days spent in the rural village Kashipur of Purulia district in West Bengal. The beauty and magnanimity of nature and surrounding landscape awakened my senses, inspired me and now occupies the central theme of my work. Nature to me appears as a moving canvas eternally intoxicating and intriguing, with its sensual and spiritual seasonal manifestations that blossom with its own textures, forms, colors and compositions forming the basis of my work.

Although my formal education in art exposed me to different styles I was early on drawn to the impressionist paintings where landscape was the focal point. Particularly Van Gogh’s brilliant use of blues, yellows and greens made a strong impression on me and I have often used these three colors to lend vibrancy to the paintings which is a natural choice for me. Within my own country the works of Nobel laureate poet painter and social reformer Rabindranath Tagore and Benod Behari Mukherjee, a pioneering figure in Indian modern art and key personality of Contextual Modernism and Ramkinkar Baij famous Indian sculptor and painter held my admiration from the start.

The contrasting switch of colors and settings from rural to urban during my frequent rail journeys have found space in my works in my use of browns, yellows, greens and darker shades like orange and grey. The topography often rough, ragged, jutting sometimes smooth and green have been captured in my submitted works. The scenes are influenced by changing landscapes from small rural hutments to the gradual emergence of concrete in urban establishments. This contrast allows me to reflect on seeking a midpoint or space in my paintings, which I hope will take firmer definitions in my future works. Also the simple and yet complex rhythm of nature with its ever changing patterns and adjustments towards sun and shade invokes a powerful symbolic message for me that resonates with life’s mysteries and philosophy. I draw parallels between the landscape and our own mindscape which finds an outlet in my works.

My early experiment at the art college was still life where we were taught to use oil on canvas and to date it has been my preferred medium which I have shown in my submitted images.I also enjoy working with ink, acrylic and watercolors on paper.

I have been influenced by the multitudes of spaces, buildings, form and architecture which the historic city of Kolkata affords me in my daily life. This is another area which is slowly seeping in and finding slow entry into my works. In the future, my work would be a mosaic of urban and rural coupled with tribal scenes which have been stitched into my ethos right from the beginning.

Sujata Kar Saha has a formal education in art with a Bachelor of Visual Art from the Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship, ( Rabindra Bharati University), Calcutta, W.B. and a Master of Visual Art degree from the Government College of Art and Craft , Calcutta University.
She has won many awards over the years for her exemplary work such as:
- “AnandaMunshi”Award from Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata India in the category-Presentation of Best Press Advertisement in 2005
- Certificate of Appreciation from Emami Chisel Art Gallery in Painting Category in 2017
- Certificate of Appreciation from Charukala Parshad, Kolkata in Photography Category in 2018
- Certificate of Appreciation from Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata in Painting Category in 2018

Besides group exhibitions from all over India, Sujata has also conducted many solo exhibitions such as:

- “Shifting Expression” –Painting Exhibition at Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2019
Painting Exhibition at TajBengal , Kolkata, West Bengal in 2016
- “Timeless Mountains”-6th Solo Painting Exhibition at Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2017
- Painting Exhibition at Taj Bengal, Kolkata, West Bengal in 2018
- “Inner Out”, Solo Painting Exhibition at Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2016
- “The Horizon”, a Solo Show at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata in 2015
- An Exhibition of Paintings at Emami Chisel Art in 2014

Sujata has been also been featured in The Art illustrated magazine, Art Soul Life magazine, Siladitya (Bengali magazine) as well as Art Fact ( Monthly News Journal by Arts Acre, Kolkata,).