Completing five decades in the world of art and enriching it with thought-provoking works is no easy feat, and artist Shipra Bhattacharya has done just that. She specialises in figuration, and as a keen observer of her surroundings and the society at large, she transforms her reflections into impressive solitary figures that bear witness to collective trauma or joy and convey it in a poetic yet politically charged manner.
In her golden jubilee year, she speaks to Indulge about her experiences, her driving force, and more. Excerpts:
Looking back on your long artistic journey, what stands out as your key takeaways?
A lot of experiences. At every stage of life, at every stage of my career, I experienced something new. Also, throughout the journey, my thought process, inspirations, and techniques evolved. When one matures, their thoughts reflect on their creations, too.
You had an exhibition last month in Delhi, titled In Bloom, celebrating 50 years of your work. How was the experience?
I have had many a solo exhibition, but none of them comes close to this one. It had a huge scale, and I had showcased a range of works from my initial days to my latest ones. There were around 110 to 112 paintings and 8 to 10 sculptures on display. There were three bronze sculptures, two small and one very big, and the rest were made of fibre.
It was a great experience, more so because I curated it myself along with my daughter, Jonaki. I am also passionate about how the paintings are displayed. Jonaki comes from a film and production design background, so it was interesting to watch her perspectives take shape as well. I let her work independently, and I really liked the curation and displays.
What drives you at this age?
My own passion. I am an introvert, and I like my own company the most. I would like to keep working, and that’s the source of my energy, my respite, and even my inspiration. Also, when I come across something inspirational, I take it very positively and start thinking and exploring even more, taking it as a challenge. But at the end of the day, I am a human too. I too feel frustrated at times, but I never let that overpower my positivity.
Ego clashes are often spoken about among partners working in the same profession. Has this ever been a factor in your relationship with your husband, acclaimed artist Shuvaprasanna?
Yes, ego clashes do happen. As I mentioned, since I have always been an introvert, I could never express myself loudly and clearly; rather, if something didn’t work out, or I didn’t like something, I’d quietly withdraw. Probably it didn’t affect my relationship with Shuvaprasanna since he was my teacher, too.
Also, it depends a lot on the kind of person you are. If someone is jealous by nature, then probably such situations would affect them more.
Do you exchange ideas with your partner, especially when it comes to art?
No, never. We are two very different individuals, with different personalities, expressions, and techniques that lead to the creation of completely different styles of work.
Are you currently exploring any new techniques?
I like experimenting. I recently made a few collages, and I am quite happy with them. It was done casually compared to my other works. I did one, liked it, and ended up doing a few more. There are 20 such collages. Now, I am not even working on them.
I don’t want to get stuck in a similar pool of work. There is a chance that artists may get stuck in the same pattern. If one painting works out, there remains a possibility that they will repeat the same style. Probably that makes them extremely successful, but I don’t want to be like that. Whenever there is a market demand, we get a lot of requests to follow the same pattern. Even if you create something better, it may not gain that kind of popularity. But I don’t want to get stuck in this loop, despite it becoming unavoidable at times!
Do you have any regrets?
No regrets as such, but I want to work more and experiment more. Things could have been better, but I feel it didn’t happen because it was my fault. I don’t believe in luck or fate; rather, we get rewarded for the efforts we put in. So our success is in our hands.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.