Artist Santanu Hazarika's work has got the attention of the virtual world. The artist who is well-known for his crypto art and collaborations with artists such as Ritviz and Divine to create NFT art is now presenting his physical work at the Mumbai-based gallery Art & Soul. Santanu who has made a name in the field of visual art for his evocative and thought-provoking creations is presenting monochromatic work under the title BLCK at this gallery. The show is also available for viewing online for those who can't visit the art space.
For someone who is well-known as an artist, it comes as a surprise that this is his debut physical show. But then the winner of the world's first Red Bull World Doodle Art Champion in 2014, presents some magnificent works that perhaps have taken a while to be created. In an interview with Indulge, he talks about the show, the NFT world and what he is working on next. Excerpts:
What is the idea behind BLCK?
The inspiration for this show is drawn from the colour black because I always painted and sketched with this colour. I have been part of many group shows in India and in other countries but I always wanted to do a conventional physical show in a gallery. The pandemic gave me the time and opportunity to do that. I went back to the sketches that I did during my engineering days which was the most turbulent phase of my life. I started processing those sketches and recreating those as large canvases. When I had to give a title to the exhibition, I realised that I have always used the colour black and it was a common thread that tied my past and present. I have evolved now and I am not the same person or artist today, so the title BLCK without an A represents me. Even though the pronunciation is the same, without the letter a, the word BLCK means something different.
What do you want the audience to take away from it?
I want people to take away an experience, I want them to get a glimpse into my world, into my process and into my existence. I want them to be amazed and reflect on my artwork even after they have left the gallery. They will see something new every time they see my work. Even though my work may disturb them and leave them shaken, at the same time, I want to create a sense of awe and comfort.
You have been minting many of your artworks as NFTs... what plans on this front?
I have been minting NFTs on platforms such as OpenSea, Foundation and WazirX. I am thinking of my next project where I will create a series of artworks and I will mint with a better roadmap in mind and with physical utility attached to the artwork. But right now I am taking a break.
How difficult is it for Indian artists to get due recognition in the crypto art world? What is holding us back?
It's not very hard for Indian artists to get recognition, there are many artists who are well-recognised like Vimal Chandran and Prasad Bhat who are doing amazing work in the crypto art world. But then, it's also a bit difficult because we don't have enough artists from India in the global NFT art community and there are very less Indian collectors and buyers. In addition to that very few indigenous projects are happening, these are the factors because of which we are lagging behind.
As an artist how do you think the physical art market has been impacted by the crypto world?
I am comfortable with both physical art and NFTs, I work with both mediums. It's an exciting time, it's an interesting intersection between the physical and virtual art world. Everyone is being creative and protective about how they execute a virtual piece of physical work. It's a hot topic and everyone wants to get into it and invest in it. The physical art market is affected, but many galleries are converting physical art to NFTs and vice versa.
The show BLCK can be viewed online until February 28