A Kaleidoscopic Inner Vision

Samarjit Roy Chowdury Photo: Prabir Das

Samarjit Roy Chowdury was probably the most romantic of the second generation of painters, says Shamsul Wares, a leading architect and art critic. In his early days, he was preoccupied with the pictorial aspect of life, bringing in motifs like birds, fishes, boats and human being early years. These gathered momentum over the year, says Wares. His focus changed from the tangible reality to a kaleidoscopic inner meaning of nature. His form s and treatment of colours remain intense.
 His visions were influenced by Picasso, Braque and Matisse. His concern for folk motifs and decorative patterns spread his message all over the canvas. In his recent paintings, the discovery of chiaroscuro led to create poetic and dramatic compositions. In an interview with the Star, Chowdhury talks about his life and works.
 

the Star: When you were a child in Comilla, you enjoyed yourself immensely…
Samarjit Rai Chowdhury: My days in Comilla were as sweet as honey, as all childhood recollections are. From the age of seven I was there. Before that I was in Daudkandi, near the banks of a river, next to a thana. I was in class four then. I spent my childhood with friends, games and laughter. We played football, hadodo and other village games. There was sunrise and sunset, merry-go-round, and buntings. There was fishing too, as well as flying of kites, some of which took place in Comilla too. We used to play “find the fallen handkerchief” under an almond tree, and I have a photograph of this. I used to go fishing in the afternoons. My father once got wild at this. I used to study in the mornings and at night.
   My passion for drawing started from Class four. Bhobenashar Chakraborty from Calcutta was my teacher. What he taught me was of use to me later on in life. At one time I used to hunt down birds like manias which I later painted. I would get the rubber and leather for this from the bike repair shop and from the cobblers. I regret this shooting of birds in my grown up life. As for the sunrise and sunsets, I have  painted them often, and all this nostalgia origin in my youth. My philosophy is “Truth is beauty”. I love to stay within Nature which is so soothing for our existence. When the moon comes up and the sun dies, birds fly across land masses and rivers, there is endless beauty in that. I add bits and pieces from my memory to this and create my paintings.
Who guided and inspired you when you were a school boy?
Samarjit Rai Chowdhury: Gugeneshar was in Calcutta and he taught me drawing in school. This uncle of his used to do the freehand drawing for his mother, who loved doing embroidery of flowers and birds on tablecloths, pillow cases and bed-covers. He could draw fish and lobsters in minute detail. Since the partition people flew from East Bengal to the west, and vice versa. Some of the students from my school also left for Calcutta, like Bhimal Kar, one of the leading artists of India, so did Ajit Chakraborty, who was a sculptor who worked both in Bishabharati and Kalabhaban, as the head there. Heman Mojumdar from Mymensingh and has his paintings in Kolkata and Delhi museums. My uncle was his friend, and I heard many stories from him.

What were your college days like ?
Samarjit Rai Chowdhury: In 1965, when I joined Art College, Qamrul Hassan was my direct teacher for my diploma classes, when I studied graphic designing, when BFA was the maximum that one could study here. I passed out in 1960 and others like Mohammed Kibria helped me in the Art College, in turn. Their interest in him was personal. Anwarul Haq was once the principal when Zainul Abedin went to Pakistan and England in 1958. Safiuddin was my teacher in the 2nd year and Kibria taught in my first year, and I leant a lot from Kibria. Now I'm in the supernumerary post of Professor in the Faculty of Arts, DU. I painted local pottery, fishing nets and women, in particular.