Artist Sakti Burman likes to present the serpent in human form because he feels that it is a symbol of desire. In a candid chat, he tells Shrabasti Mallik why he does not believe in creating an artistic style of his own
Most renowned artists are known for their signature style of painting. Be it Jamini Roy’s elongated eyes, the bindu of Raza or the abstract paintings of Rajendra Prasad. Artist Sakti Burman, however, does not have a style of his own. He does not believe in developing a distinct style, instead he likes to change the subjects of his paintings and evolve with time. If one happens to take notice, he will find that when the artist began his career in around 1960, his works were more elaborate descriptions of nature. He used bright bold colours and depicted man’s proximity to nature. Now, his works are a mix of mythology, reality and his imagination.
“When we work everything around us goes on changing automatically but we are rarely aware. As an artist I do not like to confine myself to a pattern of painting. The theme, the subjects and even the colours and textures on my canvas have changed over the years,” said the artist who took us around a collection of his works titled A Private Universe at Art Alive Gallery.
In an artistic career spanning over five decades, he has painted humans, mythology and reality. There was, however, a phase during the 90s, where he had an obsession with the mirror and it became an inevitable part of every canvas. To him, the mirror was a strong symbol — a symbol of reflecting the inner self and the constant struggle that one has within. He explained, “When you look at a mirror your reflection is there. It is not only your outer reflection but also what you are inside. You can converse with that inner self. Sometimes the conscious and the unconscious are at conflict — to love or not to love. It is the mirror which sometimes gives you the answer.”
Burman is also a fine storyteller. He has this unique knack of interweaving a narrative into his works. His series of Maya’s Dreams (painted during 1966-70), shows Maya, the Bodhi tree and an elephant. The Maya series shares how Gautam Buddha was conceived. The elephant in the picture is seen entering Maya’s dream, which is symbolic of her being impregnated. The storytelling continues in the present day depiction of Ganesha as the divine child in a scene very much similar to Christ being born in the manger. “Ganesha in the Hindu mythology bears resemblance to Christ in many ways. like Jesus, Ganesha is also divine — having the body of a human and the head of an elephant,” he added.
The title of the show in a way resonates with the subject of the paintings. In many of his paintings, Burman has used the images of his wife Maite, daughter Maya, granddaughter lila and son Nabindranath, when he was a young boy, “In Paris he is called Matthew,” smiled the artist. As an artist he feels that it is natural for him to observe people and incorporate them in his paintings but he always carries a sketchbook with him, “just to be safe.” He drew our attention towards a painting which clearly depicted the scene of Adam and Eve, where Eve is reaching out for the forbidden fruit being offered by a serpent. “The picture of the man in the painting is actually the sketch of a fellow passenger whom I sketched at the airport,” he shared.
The serpent is one of the many animal figures that he has painted throughout his career. “The serpent is a symbol for desire and I like to present it in human form. Without desire you cannot reach anywhere, it is something important for human beings. Too much of desire can destroy you but at the same time if you don’t have a desire you cannot achieve anything,” he said. His animal series’ feature elephants, serpents, monkeys (sometimes depicted as Hanuman), birds and figures which are half animal and half human. “I do not like repeating anything I have done before in my works,” added the artist.
And not only the animals, even the features of his figures have undergone a change, too. He has gone from Indian features to ones inspired by the people in Paris, where he lives. There are also influences of dolls which he bought from a cottage industry in Delhi almost 40 years ago. “The dolls — a man and a woman — have been with me for a long time and I never took notice. One day, I felt like painting them and they have been part of a few artworks,” said the octogenarian.