In yet another episode of Tuesday Talk, we spoke to Priyaranjan Purkait, an artist from the beautiful Sundarbans. How far he travelled from his village to Kolkata as a major artist,dates bearing allusions to development and adaptation are the tale fo Priyaranjan pursuant of degerence back assembled his own expertise.
The formative years of Priyaranjan, as an artist began in his native Sundarbans. Growing up in this stunning countryside and amidst its daily life, Yegor’s exposure to it forged his artistic vision. She arrived at Kolkata and did her Graduation in Fine Arts from Indian College of Art and Master of Painting from Rabindra Bharati University. While he always excelled greatly in his academic pursuits, it was the coalescing of classical Art Skills and modern expressions that shaped his distinctive artistic temperament.
He studied drawing and composition extensively. At first, he was working on realistic works with acrylic paint. Then he realized that he wanted to take it a step further and that was when the ‘inspiration’ came. At Rabindra Bharati University, he had the opportunity to learn fine art practices from sculpture to graphics — something that helped him diversify his perception of composition and artistic expressions.
It represents a remarkable transformation from the traditional painting techniques of Priyaranjan to a completely new medium — fabric and textiles. Those traditional practices he witnessed in his villagewhere old material was re-used and repaired instead of just thrown awayprovided the inspiration for this transition. The involvement of his family in traditional weaving and fishing exposed him to insights on the process of repair and reuse, something that he now embeds in his art.
His use of textile elements is not something that a merely stylistic but as a response to the socio-economic issues he aims to tackle. Priyaranjan has been referencing the visual vocabulary of traditional fabric repair techniques, including observable patch working identical to that seen in jute bags kept for rice preservation, in his recent bodies of work. While an effective means of repair, this is also a metaphor for all the ways humanity deals with and rises to overcome challenges.
Unapologetically personal and socio-politically charged, Priyaranjan employs a visceral emotional energy in his art. In his art, he tries to share the struggles of the lower-class and show their challenges and power. Many of his pieces portray the hardship faced by people in rural areas, and convey how their struggles are interconnected with wider social ills. Priyaranjan uses repair as a stand in for how humans deal and respond to their surroundings, creating an engaging conversation regarding the intricacies of life.
The work of the artist is a manifestation not only of his own personal experiences but a commentary on human life itself. Priyaranjan wants to impact an audience by doing work that makes people think and feel for both themselves as well as others. Combining traditional techniques with contemporary issues, his artwork is a fusion between the old and new that emphasizes how historical practices can be applied to inform and inspire modern ways of creating.
When he first joined Abir India, Priyaranjan attempted to win the accolade several times but without success. He persisted in sending entries which were not chosen in previous years. During the hard times of COVID-19 in 2020, Priyaranjan almost thought to stay back and not apply because of what happened previously. But when the application deadline was extended, he tried again.
His determination would finally yield positive results this time around, Seeing his name in the list of selected candidates, Priyaranjan was very excited The so-called White Game also marked the first major award distinction Ball received in his career. Needless to say his success was a great bit of news not only for him but also from all those who have know him, many of them happening to be his friends and colleagues like Imran from Kolkata; the other co-winner with Sameer.
It was a milestone for Priyaranjan, his first big recognition in the field. It was very fulfilling ceremony, being there along with the other artists. He was also seen participating in the First Take 2022 exhibition by Delhi at Bikaner House.
Priyaranjan shares his long run with Gallery Dot Walk and thoughts on the experience of doing a curated show in collaboration with Premjish Achari. This collaboration stands as a significant achievement in his career. He began his trip with the gallery in 2022 with an important exhibit at Emami Art Gallery Kolkata. That set the foundation for a subsequent longterm, personal relationship with the gallery. It was in 2023 that Priyaranjan connected with the Gallery Dot Walk and from there, it became a fact filled journey for him with the place owing its existence to another individual, Premjish Achari. Achari, known for his supportive and motivating nature, played a key role in establishing this relationship.
Priyaranjan also credits Manan Shah, another guiding light in Priyaranjan’s life and preferable go to person and a driving inspiration ( followed by thousands post apiece), Priyaranjan considers his collaboration with Gallery Dot Walk to be one of his major accomplishments, and they just signed a 2-year contract in 2024. Already offering exhibitions, the gallery and a palace have already done successfully at the hands of this resultant partnership. Overall, Priyaranjan has found his time with Gallery Dot Walk to be immensely rewarding both in terms of relationships and the opportunities that have come through.
