Paris-based artist Avijit Ghosh shares how he keeps Bengal’s traditional art form alive through his works
Artist Avijit Ghosh’s love for art and his resolve to propagate Bengal’s indigenous art form and culture in Paris—where he has resided and worked for the past 12 years—is contagious. Ghosh carries within himself the heritage of Bengal’s rich art world, which he attempts to blend seamlessly with Western themes making it more relatable to his French and European audience. His paintings see a mix of cultures, and through his work for the past 10 years, Avijit has also helped forge a stronger cultural bond between France and India. Hence, it’s not surprising to see icons of Indian and European history and culture like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Ma Sarada, Gautam Buddha, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth 1, and Mother Mary sharing space in one of his works, while Jesus Christ and Lord Krishna are seen together in another painting.
A student of Kala Bhavana in Visva Bharati and a postgraduate in textile design from NIFT, Avijit loves taking local Indian art and craft, folklores and rituals to a global platform and that's the reason why every year he brings along his foreign friends to his ancestral village home to witness Durga Puja. Having showcased his works at the Embassy of India in Paris, UNESCO Paris, several town halls, Cannes Film Festival, Cabaret Sauvage, and Paris night markets, and recent collaboration with Paris Olympic 2024, Avijit has carved a niche for himself in the world of French art. Needless to say, we didn’t miss the opportunity to catch up with him when he was in Kolkata to showcase his latest work on Indo-French special confluence aptly called Gangaa and Seine organised by Alliance Française du Bengale. Avijit spoke at length about what stokes his art and how he strives to preserve the heritage of Bengal and take it to a foreign audience.
What drew you towards art?
Painting is a tool that helps me tell my stories to a larger audience and art is definitely one of the oldest and strongest mediums of storytelling. The earliest human civilisations learnt how to paint to leave their stories behind for the coming generations even before they learnt to write. I found painting to be the best medium to share my observations about contemporary society.
What school of painting do you belong to? What kind of art attracts you?
I use traditional fresco and tempera paint techniques on canvas. I am not very fond of oil or acrylic painting style. Traditional European church wall or fresco paintings, castles, and cathedrals attract and inspire me. Painting in layers creates a dreamy atmosphere for the viewer, which, I feel, an oil or acrylic painting cannot do.
What is your next art project?
After the successful exhibition of my work at Alliance Francaise du Bengale, I have a proposition from the town hall of Paris (13 arrondissement) to organise an exhibition for school kids with my works and workshop; it will be happening in 13 arrondissement of Paris at an animation centre. The date is not fixed yet. I created a Durga idol in Paris for the Paris 2024 Durga Puja which was organised by Bangladeshi and French society. They came to me with a request to create this idol from an artist’s perspective. It was a new opportunity and chance for me as an artist to share my feelings and sentiments around the Puja with many more people. I took that plunge and created that idol replete with traditional Bengali daker shaaj and blended it with an Indo-Greek art form. The idol, once made, was appreciated by everyone and became an instant hit among the viewers for its aesthetic appeal. Currently, I am busy creating a Saraswati idol for the upcoming Basant Panchami puja in February. Post this, I would start with making idols of Laxmi and Kali for the next year. I am happy that during these festivals I get a chance to show another dimension of my work and share my culture with the greater Parisian audience. I am enjoying this process of creating sculptures, which now helps me share my Indian traditional culture in France. And to make the new generation of French-born Indians aware of all this, who otherwise will probably not have much scope or chance to get familiarised with their roots and indigenous art and cultural practices. They love participating in these festivals like any other Indian expat and I feel a sense of responsibility towards that new generation to share and discover the culture of their land together in the City of Love.