Dated: Febuary 26,2010,
.The Alibaug-based artist has created 25
paintings for this show, Intimate Vistas of the Interior,. Depicting interior
spaces of homes, The paintings are a combination of reality and fantasy.
"My Paintings are portraits of interior spaces. The interiors are
a reflection of how human beings live", says chaganlal, who has been
working on this series for a year and a half
People and places
Chaganlal uses a unique technique of painting on Masonite. He combines
acrylic with oil paints and chemical sealants used in the fishing boats
industry.
Painting in candlelight brings a certain luminosity to his paintings.
Among the paintings are depictions of places that he has been travelling
to.. mostly. European cities.
Residing in Alibaug, the artist talks about his passion for the seaside.
"My Paintings usually have a window over-looking the sea. It's my
love for nature that translates into the paintings."
The absence of human figures in the paintings comes because Chaganlal
does not want to dilute the charm of interiors with human existence. Rather
he wants the interiors to reflect human presence. "I do show objects
--line laptop, shoes, open books and other such objects that suggest the
presence of a person and work as metaphors. Among his inspiration are
mater artists like Vermeer and Vincent Van Gogh.
Arty connect
Chaganlal is a self-taught artist. He was awarded the Lalit Kala
National Award for painting and woodcarving in 1974. He has had several
solo and group shows since 1998.
"My mood swings of loneliness and celebration comfort and pain, security
and uncertainty, the disquietude of now and timelessness...my paintings
reflect these shades of my emotional palette. And these are those that
all human being share," he says .
Chaganlal also feels that the viewers connect to his paintings due to
its subtle nature and happy feeling, that comes from the use of a bright
and vibrant colour palette.