FREEDOM WITHIN THE BONDINGS
Is it possible for one to search his inner genuine self in the relevant arenas of social bonding and environments?

It is very difficult to express one’s own perception and self narrations of his/her inner self faithfully in the present modern age of globalization. One can enjoy complete freedom only within the set framework and relevant bondings of society and artists are no exception to this in the sense they also have to undergo these rituals with the relevant social bondings and social restrictions. It is very painful but there is no alternative. ‘Stamp’ is a symbol of this bondings. Freedom is often within the bondings and also with these bondings there is freedom! Human life heed not incorporate big and colorful events to be creative and full of plenty in the truest sense. It becomes beautiful and pleasant as well as enjoyable due to tiny and meager happenings in daily routines. It is very difficult to express simple things with the exactness vis-a- vis expressing glorious and colourful eventuality in any art form. I have endeavored to give vent to such elemental forms through apt artistic expression in my work.
It has been my experience that often I get answers to my vivid queries in life cycle not through philosophical religious books or so but prominently I try to search them in the company of nature and environments. As a result, some peculiar forms of Nature often find due place in my work at strategic locations.

The various characters in my work have been displayed with partly closed eyes with subdued vision and aptly demonstrate the thinking/thoughtful oneself engaged in search of self identity of genre in the relevant arenas. It involves totally intermingling human sentiments like emotional attachments and ties of close knit relation. Hence, psychological involvement, love, joy, passion, peace, eternity, almighty and other related forms always find due place in my work so as to decorate it with vivid forms of sentimental mindscapes of any sensitive human being.

A man is always recognized by his outward appearance, status, social position or emotional expressions as well as environments around. Mostly, these outward appearances display only some aspects of his real personality /internal or inner soul. It is always the representation of the emotional phase he or she is passing through symbolizing sentimental upheavals, the ensuing confusion dilemmas or the state of indecisiveness which is quite alarming and hazardous. However, these outward mental states have a direct bearing on the inner ones and the real soul or inner self never gets due recognition or exposure in the relevant arenas. This unforeseen situation in one’s life sometimes leads to catastrophic or dangerous calamities which, if not remedied in time , many impair the mental equilibrium or character in question. Also , the real oneself in search of his longings/aspirations in life hardly gets an opportunity to fulfill his/her dreams and enjoy serenity, relaxation and mental peace and interaction/freedom from worldly pleasures and shackles.

To summarise, I have displayed vivid forms of expressional creative search in quest for the real inner self in my work through artistic amalgamation of relevant innovative ideas with apt colour tones and their harmony, lyrical resonance and special textural effects and highlighting the desired rhythm and ensuring visual effects in the relevant perspectives of visual fine arts.

Stamped Out

– Sujata Chakrabarti. May 30 2009

IT’s quite an assortment of colours, ideas and techniques that artist Devidas Dharmadhikari captures along with the varing moods of his subject against a striking background of old postal envelopes and used stamps.

The collection titled Don’t Stamp Me depicts one of the artist’s friends as his muse, painted on the background of an eclectic mixture of black and white – a sure treat for art connoisseurs.
Devidas says, “The message behind this whole collection is to stop being biased towards people. Its I time we become good Samaritians by understanding people. We urban settlers have a habit of labeling people and the different moods captured on the canvas represents people’s perspectives.”

Interestingly, even the digital coding, numerical and minute potal details that stand out on the background have all been done with acrylics instead of digital printing or mixed media.

The artist explains, It would have been taking a short cut had I used digital printing. Obviously,replicating portal codes on the canvas I tricky, so managing the whole canvas with acrylic is definitely hard work and required dexterity with the medium.

The current collection that has 23 canvases worked over a period of three years has one human face that has been repeated throughout, albeit depicting the figure with different facial expressions. Devidas actually has asked one of his very close friends to model for the entire collection, and the reason of the choice was his ability of the person to emote body language through varied forms of expression.

The artist says, “When depicting a muse on the canvas, it is important to make sure the person’s body statistics are in tandem with the purpose of the art work. In my case, his ability of being able to express this through varied facial expressions caught my eye, and hence the entire collection has him as the central subject.

The show is on at Jahangir Art Gallery till June2.
“The message behind this whole collection is to stop being biased towards people”