By Bratin Khan
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Bratin Khan - Christ
Charcoal & Pastel on Canvas, 30 x 24 inches, 2009
The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as Krishna Leela. He is a central character in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita, and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and as the universal supreme being. His iconography reflects these legends, and shows him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute, a young man with Radha or surrounded by women devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to Arjuna.
He is sometimes accompanied by cows or a calf, which symbolise the divine herdsman Govinda. Alternatively, he is shown as a romantic and seductive man with the gopis (milkmaids), often making music or playing pranks.
Style : Marked for the refined handling of line work and palette, his painterly compositions, reflect influences of folk art and Bengal School. The renderings are poetic and the narratives mythical, folklore-inspired or religious. His curvaceous and languid figures, often accompanied by a surrounding halo, are set amidst a natural habitat. The imagery features Buddha, Krishna, other legendry icons as well as pretty damsels and lotus flowers.
Figures dominate the whole thinking process of his paintings with different subjects such as mermaids, musicians (Classical Musicians , Rajasthani Folk Singers and Baul Singers) and mythological figures appearing in his works. He was deeply influenced by the life Sri Aurobindo and thus enlightened beings. Such as Buddha, Jesus and Krishna are also a recurring theme in his Golden Man series. His focus on detail and remarkable skill over the line make his style unique. He uses a traditional method of tempera painting which goes back to the Indian miniature though the material he uses is totally contemporary. Knowledge of the wash technique further enables him to create a soft, twilight effect in his paintings.
About the Artist and his work :
Born : 1969, West Bengal.
Education :
1993 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan.
Selected Solo Exhibitions :
2000 - Classic Source, Mumbai.
1999 - Rightlines Art Gallery, Bangalore.
1993 - Grindlays Bank Gallery, Kolkata.
Selected Group Exhibitions :
2007 - ‘A Brush with Durga’ ,Gallery Kolkata, Kolkata.
2002 - 'Gems of Bengal Art...
Category
2010s Contemporary Bratin Khan Art
MaterialsCanvas, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media