Arindam Chatterjee’s ongoing solo navigates the psychology of facts

On entering Arindam Chatterjee’s ongoing solo at Emami Art, a v a m a n a v a , one would find beauty in detachment, through the artworks. The predominantly grey-scale works hanging from the walls invite the viewer to be a part of the sombre, melancholic, and deeply psychological positioning of the artist’s mind. Chatterjee’s latest set, a collection of 30 works, explores Francis Bacon’s concept of Brutality of Fact.  

Here's why Arindam Chatterjee's ongoing solo should be on your visit list in Kolkata

What is intriguing is the fact that Chatterjee makes no qualms about representing or imagining a situation creatively. It is presented as an interpretation of plain facts on paper, which often hides the sugarcoating in situations and portrays the blatant brutality of life. It explores human ethics and their existence, and yet, each of his artworks perpetually remains in states best described as unfinished, incomplete and confused.  

As Emami Art CEO Richa Agarwal puts it, “We are pleased to present his latest body of work, characterised by a heightened intimacy and introspection. These pieces on display reflect the artist's ongoing inner dialogue and self-inquiry. There is a sense of aloofness and detachment in his work.”

The name of the exhibition a v a m a n a v a is derived from Rabindranath Tagore’s translation of the word as ‘sub-human’ that denotes the space in between being an animal and a man. The paintings are critical of the existence of a human vis-à-vis curiosity, terror and menace. It navigates through an Untitled set of watercolour art, oil and dry pastel on acid-free paper, rice paper and other mediums with striking creations like A Flying Creature or Shadows and the Empty House.

Chatterjee started out as an abstract painter in the 1990s and expanded his forte to figurative paintings in the mid-2000s. His images are a combination of both, with dark abstract backgrounds with figures popping out in colours. The use of both these styles brings out the best of man and animal imageries and yet gives it a mythological stand, which when closely looked into takes you back to socio-cultural and political facts.

a v a m a n a v a by Arindam Chatterjee is on display at Emami Art, Ground Floor till December 24, 2025

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.