Expressions under umbrella Painting

Artist Coloum Satya Dheer Singh I was born in the city of Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in India and completed my graduation in the year 2006 (BFA) and BA in the year 2001 from the Allahabad University. After my graduation I decided to move to Bhopal to work from Bharat Bhawan (a world renowned multi art center) as a full time free lance artist. Since then I am living and working in Bhopal. I always had a keen interest in reading Hindi literature. My interest in literature nurtured numerous thoughts and gave a creative blend to my mind. I wanted to express those thoughts in the form of paintings and drawings. Gradually my doodling through my thoughts and through forms and figures generated ideas and themes for my paintings. As a result I started casting my thought process in an uncontested manner onto canvas and paper. The whole process broke my own hesitation and gave freedom to my expressions. Along with this, the artistic environment at Bharat Bhawan where artists meet and discuss on art and literature also helped in my progress as an artist. Because I was always interested to work in figurative forms, I started telling narratives in my own figurative style. Initially my readings of literature influenced my work narrative that had a kind of dramatic and explanative quality. An interesting fact that has certainly influenced my work was my selection of subjects in graduation (Bachelor of Arts that I had done before doing BFA) which included Philosophy and History. Study of these two subjects made me aware of India’s treasure of folk and traditional history and philosophy. Its art forms also show its socio-religious and philosophical dimensions. In my paintings I tried to capture the life experiences of Indian folk with the characteristic flavor of Indian medieval art that is featured by its bold linearity and the treatment of colors. Figures are depicted in profile. Its pictorial vocabulary is so rich and rhythmic. This inspires me to depict my figures in profile with bold contours and spontaneity. Exaggerated, outstretched and deformed figures wearing rural costumes and ornament, give them animated quality that is so apt for the sarcastic narratives of my paintings. In my work I create contrast and juxtaposition not only in the treatment of colors and space but I also try to bring together past and present by mingling history and tradition with what we call contemporary.