Bright, bold and bewildering

Sudip uses bold hues in his abstract works to showcase the ups and downs in our lives. The exhibition will be on public display from from December 18 to 23 at India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road.

Artist Sudip Roy’s recent collection of abstract works represent his journey as an artist and his love for bright, bold hues. In the process of emphasising the formal elements of picture making and personal expressions, artist Sudip Roy moved from realistic painting to abstract. In his recent exhibition titled “Odyssey”, Sudip plays with colours exploring the surreal crevices within his own struggles and journeys as an artist. In this collection, he showcases a celebratory set of works that read like fragments from time.

In his canvases, Sudip seamlessly adds elements of history of abandoning, realism and merges into the magic of abstract expressionism. According to the artist, “It was a conscious decision to move away from realism to abstraction as it is a step that is akin to a certain detachment from familiar terrain. I started with realistic painting but now I am concentrating on abstract art. I feel the traditional heritage, music and culture is slowly losing its charm. I want my art to revive those ancient cultures and heritage of India.”

The transformation based on his quest to take an artistic journey to explore the visual language is in conjunction with subject matter to express his feelings and ideas. Uma Nair, curator of the show states, “The explosion of colours in his works make an inviting tonal graph of sites for the viewers. Even more it arouses the curiosity, as the artist is trying to send a certain perception through abstraction from his mesmeric moody moments. These ideas are stirred from his inner recesses of the magical manipulations of time’s tenets. The swish and sweep of the paint brush makes you think of land and sea, where landscapes mirror not just the manifestations but also the stressful phase of our lives.”

The show has captured the myriad facets of an artist with just glimpses or flashes of genius strokes in order to achieve heights of detailing and perfection. With changing times, Sudip moved from using watercolour as a medium of expression to acrylics and oil paints. Uma says, “Early works of Sudip included pencil sketches, watercolours, charcoals and a heady series of landscape done in limped line drawing. He has experimented with a host of materials and has utilised them to their utmost perimeters. Over the years, he has mastered the art of watercolours. But in his abstract works — some of which were triptychs — he has presented an amalgam of different media.”

Sudip has created a monumental and figurative work for most part of his life, until he shifted to moody momentousness. He started doing large abstract works, which reflected different times of the day. He says, “I don’t believe in giving a title to my work, instead, I prefer to name it at the time I conceptualise it. So, my works are named after time like 2 pm and others, as for me hours plays a significant role. The work reflects my mood and mind at that given time.”

This new array of artistic line-up showcases the transformation an artist undergoes within. In this collection, he tries to capture the pain, the sorrow and the emotional turbulence that a person goes through, but the vibrant use of colours also represent the inner calm one realises after a period of time. According to the artist, these 24 works on display showcase a voyage of every human being in quest of inner calm. “Painting is a spiritual journey. One needs to apply mind and soul into a work to bring out the creativity,” he concludes.