From Hopelessness to Artistic Mastery and Breakthrough Success
After graduating from the Government College of Fine Arts in Gauhati, Assam, Navakash faced both personal and professional obstacles in his difficult journey. After experiencing extreme hopelessness in 2005, he tried to end his life by walking into railway tracks. When Navakash miraculously survived and was restored to health by kind strangers, the villagers mocked him, writing off his experience as careless irresponsibility. Following his recuperation, Navakash unexpectedly received a call from Santiniketan asking to be admitted to the Printmaking department. This chance rekindled his optimism and hastened his recuperation. He developed his mastery of black-and-white prints in Santiniketan, where he also took up the then-popular figurative style. After earning his doctorate degree in 2007, he relocated to Delhi and pursued his artistic goals while working several odd jobs to support himself. When a private gallerist showed interest in Navakash’s artwork and relieved his financial problems, he achieved breakthrough success. After a temporary move to Pune, he attended an art camp in Shillong in 2010 that turned out to be pivotal. Reassured and having received a small amount from the camp, he went back to Delhi and opened a studio close to Hauz Khas.
Artistic Style and Influences
Superflat Aesthetics Navakash’s artistic style is profoundly influenced by the superflat movement, notably championed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. This style emphasises the flatness of the pictorial surface, intentionally avoiding the illusion of three-dimensionality. Superflat art draws from Japan’s rich Manga culture, Ukiyo-e woodcut prints, and the subculture of Otaku, all of which celebrate a two-dimensional aesthetic. Navakash’s works resonate with these traditions, reflecting a deliberate departure from the Western canon’s emphasis on creating volumetric depth in art.
Optical Illusions and Pop Colours One of the hallmarks of Navakash’s paintings is their psychedelic optical illusionism, achieved through the clever use of repeated flat patterns. These patterns create a sense of movement and depth, tricking the eye and engaging the viewer in a dynamic visual experience. His bold and unapologetic use of pop colours—red, green, yellow, and blue—sets his work apart. These colours not only evoke a sense of vibrancy and energy but also serve as a critique of the conventional soft and pastel palettes often preferred by art collectors. Navakash’s choice of colours reflects a democratic acceptance of all shades, celebrating even the most jarring combinations with equal verve.
Cultural and Personal Influences Navakash’s colour palette is deeply rooted in his personal history. During his childhood, his father made fans out of bamboo leaves, colouring them with the same primary colours that now dominate Navakash’s paintings. These early experiences, though not consciously remembered during the creation of his art, have indelibly influenced his aesthetic choices. The colours he uses are a homage to his past, infusing his work with a sense of nostalgia and personal significance.
Figurative to Semi-Figurative Transition In his early works, Navakash showed an inclination towards semi-figurative paintings, often depicting butterflies and flowers. This phase, though brief, served as a transitional period before he fully embraced the superflat style. The semi-figuration in his early works hinted at a narrative quality, which gradually evolved into the more abstract and optical-driven approach that defines his current oeuvre.
Geometric Forms and Patterns Geometric forms play a crucial role in Navakash’s paintings. These popular shapes, recognized universally, contribute to the optical illusions that characterise his work. The repetition of these forms creates a sense of visual dynamism, energising the paintings and drawing the viewer into their complex patterns. This use of geometry is not new to Navakash’s work; it has been a latent feature since his early artistic endeavours, subtly present in the backgrounds before coming to the forefront in his later pieces.
Critique of Contemporary Visual Culture Navakash’s art is not merely a visual spectacle but also a commentary on contemporary visual culture. His use of vibrant colours and flat patterns reflects the populist visual communications of our times, where depth and complexity are often sacrificed for immediate visual impact. By embracing and critiquing this trend, Navakash’s work engages with the current cultural context, challenging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of depth, surface, and the role of colour in art.
Kinesthetic Quality Despite their super flat nature, Navakash’s paintings possess a virtual depth created by the interplay of patterns and colours. This kinesthetic quality imparts a sense of beauty through movement and the correlations generated in the viewer’s sensory perceptions. His works, while flat, create an illusion of depth and dynamism, making them visually and intellectually stimulating.
Themes
1. Personal Resilience and Transformation Navakash’s art is deeply intertwined with his personal journey of resilience and transformation. His works subtly reference his struggles and triumphs, including his near-fatal encounter with a train and subsequent recovery. This theme of personal rebirth is woven into the layers of his paintings, symbolising the triumph of hope and determination over adversity. The vibrant colours and dynamic patterns in his art can be seen as a celebration of life and a testament to his unwavering spirit.
2. Memory and Nostalgia A significant theme in Navakash’s work is the exploration of memory and nostalgia. The use of primary colors—red, green, yellow, and blue—directly ties back to his childhood, where these colours were part of his everyday life. This nostalgic palette evokes a sense of longing and reminiscence, connecting the past with the present. His paintings serve as a bridge to his early experiences, subtly infusing his art with personal history and cultural heritage.
3. Cultural Commentary Navakash’s art is a commentary on contemporary visual culture, critiquing the shallow engagement and fleeting focus prevalent in today’s media-saturated world. By using bold pop colours and optical illusions, he reflects on the superficiality of modern visual communications. His work challenges viewers to look beyond the surface, encouraging a deeper appreciation of the complexities and nuances of contemporary life.
4. Pop Culture and Superflat Influenced by the superflat movement, Navakash’s art delves into the realm of pop culture. His paintings echo the flatness of Manga and Otaku subcultures, celebrating popular imagery while simultaneously critiquing the high culture’s exclusivity. This theme of superflatness allows his work to resonate with a wide audience, bridging the gap between high art and popular culture.
Techniques
1. Superflat Technique Navakash employs the superflat technique to create visually striking paintings. This approach emphasizes the flatness of the pictorial surface, avoiding traditional notions of depth and volume. By doing so, he creates a unique visual language that aligns with contemporary cultural aesthetics. His super flat paintings are characterized by their bold use of color, flat patterns, and a lack of three-dimensional illusion.
2. Optical Illusions A hallmark of Navakash’s technique is his mastery of optical illusions. He uses repeated flat patterns to create a sense of movement and depth, tricking the viewer’s eye. These patterns are carefully arranged to generate visual dynamism, making his paintings appear almost kinetic. The interplay of shapes and colours results in a virtual depth that captivates and engages the viewer.
3. Bold Use of Colour Navakash’s unapologetic use of primary colours—red, green, yellow, and blue—defines his palette. He employs these colours in their purest form, avoiding the creation of shades through mixing. This direct application of colour enhances the optical effects in his paintings and reinforces the themes of vibrancy and life. The bold colours also serve as a critique of traditional art conventions, challenging the preference for subdued and pastel tones.
4. Geometric Patterns Geometric patterns are a recurring element in Navakash’s work. He utilises popular shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles, arranging them in repetitive sequences to create intricate designs. These geometric forms contribute to the optical illusions and add a structured rhythm to his paintings. The use of geometry also connects his work to universal visual languages, making it accessible and relatable to a broad audience.
5. Minimal Textural Variation While Navakash occasionally employs textural strokes, he often flattens them to maintain the superflat aesthetic. This minimal textural variation ensures that the focus remains on the colours and patterns rather than on the physical texture of the paint. By doing so, he reinforces the two-dimensional quality of his work, aligning with the principles of superflat art.
6. Figurative to Semi-Figurative Transition Navakash’s early works exhibit a transition from figurative to semi-figurative styles. Initially incorporating butterflies and flowers, he gradually moved towards more abstract and optical-driven approaches. This evolution reflects his journey as an artist, experimenting with different styles before settling on his distinctive superflat and optical illusion techniques.
Recognition and Achievements Navakash’s dedication and unique style eventually garnered attention from art collectors in Italy and Germany, who supported his work. His marriage to Pratibha in 2021 marked a new chapter, with the couple undertaking cycling expeditions across India. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Navakash’s art continued to evolve, capturing the attention of curators and critics alike.
In 2023, Johny ML, a cultural critic and curator recognised the significance of Navakash’s superflat paintings. Drawing parallels with the Op and Pop art movements, Johny highlighted how Navakash’s work connects the gap between representational, figurative art and the abstract. His paintings, devoid of traditional depth, engage viewers with their optical effects and vibrant surfaces, reflecting the transient nature of contemporary visual culture.
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