Silent Vision

Suman Chandra received the CIMA Award in 2022. Originally from Midnapore, Bengal, he graduated with an M.F.A. specializing in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. Work which was selected for the CIMA Award 2022.. For Suman Chandra, the materiality, dangers and risks of coal mine are the inspiration for his art practice. The artist, coming from a family who have a business in coal, his explorations of coal and coal mines began early in life. Initially, it was the visible topography of coal mines which fueled his artistic efforts but as he explored further and deeper, his explorations ushered him into the human lives intertwined with the mining landscape.

In his paintings, the devourment of ground and the cruelties within are translated into, pictoral landscapes. The political and poetical find perfect synergy in Suman Chandra’s paintings. The viewer is put into a false state of peace and contemplation, there are no human figures, in these images, the viewer observes domestic animals like Ducks or Goats playing, with a door slightly open in the background suggesting an invitation to go inside. To bring this sense into his paintings, Suman Chandra selects traditional motifs from the dying sohrai practice. He also quietly refers to literature, in his paintings, specifically to the poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay. Song: Asato mā Sadgamaya Tamasomā Jyotir Gamaya (lead me from the unreal to the real/lead me from darkness to light).

Dates: 29 July – 19 August, 2023 Venue: CIMA Gallery, Kolkata
Timings: Mondays: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesdays – Saturdays: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sundays closed