Friday November 18, 2011

Maity’s paintings and sculptures tell of worldly journeys

THE walls of Wei Ling Contemporary are ablaze with Paresh Maity’s vibrant canvases and quirky sculptures.

Large paintings in rich primary colours depict the faces and places of a society with pulsating culture and tradition.

Flaming sculptures greet and lead you into the energetic world of the artist’s ongoing journey — his passage from Bengal to Delhi, from India to Malaysia.

Although Maity has carved a niche for himself in the contemporary art world in India and the world over, he continues experimenting with subjects, mediums and techniques.

This collection of drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations is Maity’s first exhibition in Malaysia and is a result of a collaboration between Wei-Ling Gallery and Wei-Ling Contem-porary in Kuala Lumpur, and Gallery Sumukha, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Maity, born in 1965, studied Painting (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata and Painting (Master of Fina Arts), at the College of Art, New Delhi.

He has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout India, and in Germany, the UK, the US and Singapore, and has recently been represented at several international art fairs.

His works are in several private and public collections in India and abroad, including the British Museum, London and National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli.

Starting his career as a sculptor, Maity gradually ventured into the world of painting and became known specifically for his water-colours.

Since then he has also established himself as a master of oils on canvas, and more recently has proven his ingenuity in the three-dimensional world of sculptures and installations.

It is not just Maity’s experimentation with materials that makes him an exciting artist but the way his work continuously evolves.

Nature has been his muse from the beginning of his career; its presence evident in his latest exhibition through the romantic landscapes, mysterious faces and abstract sculptures.

Earlier depictions of dense trees, romantic skies and mysterious waters have been sown with the enigmatic presence of mystifying faces.

Maity is an observer of the love and intimacy between his subjects and feels the joy, warmth, sadness and sorrow that they experience.

Leaving his mark: Maity signing the guest book at Wei-Ling Gallery.

In this body of work, he unveils the mysteries of Rajasthan; his paintings are captivating visual representations of Rajasthani culture, depicting the brilliant hues of their attire and the haunting ballads of valor, romance and tragedy that echo in this mesmerizing desert.

Duality captures the complexity of the human mind with pure colours and simple lines, whereas Family in Mela reflects the dynamic relationships between people through its complex composition.

Stylised representation of a celebration is depicted by juxtaposing profiles and a suggestion of a drum in Evening.

The common features in all the paintings are the primary colours — crimson, cobalt and yellow – and the faces that have been drawn with bold, angular lines, yet subtly blended into the background.

Birds, as a symbol of love and freedom, keep appearing in least likely places; sometimes in the vacant spaces on the background as in Cycle of Life, other times overlapping a prominent profile as seen in Harmony 1.

The glow of Maity’s luminous sculptures can be seen from outside the boundaries of Wei-Ling Contemporary.

The large green ants, constructed from old, dismantled motorcycles welcome visitors to the artist’s eccentric creations.

With Night Raid, Maity highlights the disciplined, organised and intuitive nature of the ant.

Inspired by the works of Rembrant, Turner, Constable, Winslow Homer and the Impressionists, Maity uses various ways to capture light in his work.

Journey is an ode to his humble roots in Bengal, where life is surrounded by and dependent on water.

Seven lanterns lighting up a golden boat made out of fibre glass, this sculpture is a symbol of not only the physical journey of the fishermen but also the spiritual voyage from here to the world hereafter.

Creation of Universe is a symbolic representation of the glow and luminosity throughout this world.

Excited to be exhibiting his work in a new environment for a fresh audience, Maity is looking forward to the way his work is received in KL.

Paresh Maity’s ‘Paintings, Sculptures and Installations’ exhibition will be on show at Wei-Ling Contemporary, The Gardens Mall until Dec 2.

For details, call 03-2260 1106/2282 8323 or visit www.weiling-gallery.com