Samarjit Roy Choudhury's folk fascination

Samarjit's folk fascination
Takir Hossain
"Samarjit Roy Chowdhury is one of the prominent figures in the Bangladeshi art circuit and is known for the folk motifs in his works. The artist has carved a niche for himself with his hallmark style.Folk art is quite popular in the sub-continent. Many artists start their journey with folk art and it generally encapsulates the identity, custom and language of a particular place or community. Needless to say, folk elements are in abundance in the works of our maestros like Zainul Abedin, Qamrul Hassan, SM Sultan, Qayyum Chowdhury, Rashid Chowdhury and Abdus Shakoor Shah. Contemporary artists are also experimenting with folk motifs with an urban approach, and this is certainly contributing to enriching Bangladeshi art. Apart from folk motifs, Bangladesh doesn't really have any other background. Samarjit has always had a great passion for art. As a child he recalls going to fairs and buying clay horses and elephants, various types of dolls and such. Samajit likes to incorporate many things in his works. His recurring motifs are birds, kites, leaves, wild flowers, boats, plants and fish. Scribbles and thick lines are crisscrossed over his paintings. His lines are not polished at all. The uneven lines create an individual language, highlighting a rural essence.Samarjit uses primary colours and lines to create a flavour of bucolic Bengal. He draws inspiration from indigenous objects such as Lokkhi-shora and poto chitra. His lines and colours are also motivated by clay dolls and ancient ballads. His works present a combination of traditional and modern geometric, abstract forms. Samarjit also has a propensity for portraying female forms in semi-realistic or realistic manner. The colours frequently used are azure, red, black, yellow and emerald green.Samarjit indulges in nostalgia, going back to his childhood when life was carefree. Catching fish, flying kites were part of that period of bliss and these elements are also an integral part of his paintings. Acrylic, pastel, oil and mixed media are predominately used in his works. Adroit application of light and shades are evident. Besides restless curves, geometric forms, rectangular-triangular and broken lines make his images noteworthy. Playing with forms is Samarjit's forte.Among the avant-garde second generation of contemporary artists in Bangladesh, Samarjit seeks to represent our culture, heritage and traditions. As a painter, he believes he has certain responsibilities to the motherland." www.dhakacourier.net

(kindness of Rafique Sulayman, Bangladesh Heritage Foundation )