Artist Dipak Kumar Ghosh believes eyes are a reflection of the inner being. Even a glimpse has the potential to speak volumes. By Upasana Singh
Immense passion is born out of innate motivation and does not require qualifications. Hailing from an unartistic background, Dipak Ghosh’s compositions have carved a path landing him into one of the most reputed museums in Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum.
The portrayal of eyes on the canvas was a concept conceived by chance. But the artist got extremely engulfed in the subject while making a sketch of Aurobindo. “One day, while sketching the portrait of Aurobindo, there was a power cut and my studio was in complete darkness. I was quiet scared of being alone in a dark room. And suddenly my eyes gazed upon the canvas and I noticed the soulful eyes that stared back at me. I got goosebumps because I could almost feel their presence in the room. Since then eyes have become my muse and an identity for my artworks”, said Ghosh who created 60 portraits depicting the eyes of various personalities at his debut solo exhibition.
The artist believes that he has learned the techniques of the trade through his personal experiences and struggles in life. “It all began when I saw a bone-paper lying on a book which had a printed image of Vivekananda . My creativity responded and reflexively I started tracing the image on a piece of paper which grabbed the attention of my faculty members. It was the first incident which inspired me to venture into the field of art without having any prior knowledge about the subject.” However, in a rapidly evolving environment, the artist needs to keep his work ahead of time. “My early paintings were created with a basic pencil. But I have been experimenting with charcoal as well especially for this collection. With the arrival of digitalisation, I started producing my artworks on the computer using Photoshop and Illustrator which actually gives the impression that the painting has been created using a real paintbrush.”
It’s not just famous personalities in historical pages like Aurobindo, Mother Teresa or Osho who have inspired the artist. He looks into the depths of emotions reflected in the eyes of a common man wise beyond his age as well. “Capturing emotions of individuals on a canvas is not a difficult task. It all depends on what expressions catch my attention and accordingly I start the creative process of getting it onto a canvas. But generally what I look for is positivity, a zeal for life and great ambitions that remain unfazed by the curveballs thrown throughout life, asserted Ghosh.
All the 60 exhibits were exemplary building a strong connect with the audience, depicting creativity and vivid imagination. Elaborating about one of the paintings which was inaugurated by former President, Pranab Mukherjee, he revealed, “It was the portrait of Swami Vivekananda which was unveiled at the inauguration. I coloured it in such a way that a source of light is directly reflecting the eyeball of Vivekananda. His face was intentionally tilted upwards so that the portrait could communicate the message of hope, power and propel viewers to think of ways to achieve their life goals.” The artist always prefers bright colours as he believes that such colours add an element of happiness and freshness in his paintings.