Pijush Kanti Bera

Artist Pijush Kanti Bera’s work is based on modern art. “Art is a unique language to explore oneself and it is not confined to a particular individual or a certain part of society. I always try to redefine my creativity and retry a modern style or method. The expertise of royal realistic beauty is depicted in all my artworks. I use realistic images”, he says. Over a period of time he has participated in various art shows, exhibitions and workshops all over the country and overseas.

What’s your artistic background?

I come from an artistic family. My father and my younger brother are artists. Both I and my younger brother are truly inspired from our father. While using realistic images I use colours which are not in accordance with reality. My colour patches reveal a separate environment of dedication towards reality.

What role does the artist have in society?

Art plays an important role in shaping the culture of a society. While some say that the purpose of an artist is to express the beauty of the world around them, others claim that real value of an art piece comes from it’s ability to express truth in a way that influences people for the better.

What art do you most identify with?

The forms of art that I mostly identify with are painting and sculpture. It can be characters by a visual impression of the moment, in terms of the lighting effects and the colorization that it has within the piece itself. Unlike painting, which traditionally represents an illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface, sculpture actually inhabits the space shared by the viewer. Sculpture is also tactile—one could actually touch it and feel its various textures and forms.

What themes do you pursue?

Theme is defined as the main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly. Factors and conditions which define one’s identity from unconsciousness to consciousness is the theme. In my painting some figures represent the female energy as the form of deity representing semitone median.

What’s your favourite art work?

As an artist I really get inspired by the brilliant artist M F Hussain. He always captured the color and spirit of Indian festivals. Ancient celebrations and rituals reflect the passing of time and show the enduring role of religion and tradition in Indian culture.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

In my childhood days I used to minutely follow my father when he painted on paper and pots. Each line and curve used to be so realistic as if the artwork is depicting beauty and creativity on it’s own. He is my real inspiration. During my college days I got influenced by Spanish Painter Pablo Picasso and his painting style. Mainly the bombing of Basque City of Guernica, which depicts victims of war, suffering woman, children and horse.

Why art?

Art is a form of expression. It allows the human mind and heart to express something that maybe words cannot. Sometimes they are words. But in many forms, they’re time capsules of a given period in that person’s life and moment. Capturing that moment, that emotion, that feeling, is art.

What is an artistic outlook on life?

The palette of colours fell from the creator’s hands onto the ‘Creation of Life’ on the canvas to escalate its artistic beauty up by a thousand times. It was a transformation of a lifeless journey from the gloominess of black and white to a multitude of colours, diverse and unimaginable. They provoked the aesthetic beauty, charm and activeness on life. Creation gives every object, be it animate or inanimate, an identity of it’s own, helping it to be distinguished from the rest. Creation is more than what it just looks like at the first glance. It helps express feelings to our loved ones that would otherwise stay in the heart forever.

What food, drink, song inspires you?

Being a Bengali I love the flavours of Bengali food and the fragrance of Rabindra Sangeet inspires me the most.

Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

No, the artistic life is not lonely. Success can be a lonely place because expectations never cease. Success can be a lonely place because there is so much more at stake and so many more livelihoods and legacies that you are playing for.

What do you dislike about the art world?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” A lot of people, especially non-art professionals and non-art educated professionals, believe their (under-educated, uninformed) opinions about art carry the same weight as that of an art professional. The profession is viewed as a hobby that anyone can google and excel at.

What do you like about your work?

The combination of colours and brush is what I like the most in my artworks. Through this I can reveal the actual beauty of creation.

What role does art funding have?

Some people believe that the government should provide financial assistance to all artists including painters, musicians and poets. Others think that it is a waste of money. They maintain that by providing financial assistance to artists, the government can help protect the cultural heritage of the country. First and for most, supporting arts could enhance economic developments. In the past decades, cities in both developed and developing countries have seen a boost in economy and a ballooning support to various fields from government. Investing in arts and artists creates jobs and tax revenue.

What is your dream project?

My dream project is to do exhibitions of painting and sculptures all over the world.

Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.

My creation is my own.  Every artist has his own creativity. So there’s no question of comparing.

Professionally, what’s your goal? Future plans?

The real goal of art is to show us the way to another world. To the world which helps us to purify our souls.