The Journey Of An Artist

by Amrita Ghosh

Optimistic in nature and bohemian in spirit, Nityam Singha Roy’s new paintings are the
manifestation of his deep understanding and realization of life and its philosophy. Born in
1978, in Balurghat, Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal, Nityam strongly believes in the power
and potent of the word ‘Charaiveti’, which means ‘move on’ or ‘go on’. He likes to focus on
the journey of life, and not the destination, to enjoy the internal majesty and not to rejoice
over achieving simply an external goal. ‘The struggle of my early life taught me to enjoy the
pain of separation. This pain has created me anew as a painter and painting is my
satisfaction. My painting reflects my journey. My canvas becomes my language while I paint
my story.’ And it is his deep introspection that has allowed him to create art works which
transcend the personal subjectivity and spatio-temporal boundaries and give his audience
the feeling of timelessness and eternity.

Basically a self-taught painter, Nityam’s works clearly reveal his interest in presenting his
own reality from his dreams and subconscious thoughts. Although based on forms in the
tangible world, the birds, the horses and the human figures appear in his canvasses as
fantasy images suffused with serenity. ‘Since my childhood I have always dreamt of living
freely and independently. The birds in my paintings represent freedom while the horses
stand for strength and journey. I also sometimes portray these creatures as the eternal
messenger of hope’ says Nityam. Rendered in limited palette his mystique and magnificent
paintings are the subtle expression of hope for eternal glory- the hope that the artist seeks
to convey to everyone in the present world.

His acrylic paintings-contemplative in mood and rich in colour and content- are deeply
rooted in the traditional art and culture of his motherland, West Bengal. ‘During the early
period of my artistic career I used to spend days at places like Bishnupur, and Santiniketan.
These places with their artistic traditions have always inspired my art practices and left
substantial impact on me’, says the artist. The horses in his paintings clearly reflect the
affection he cherishes in his heart for the terra cotta and folk art of Bengal. Cubist influence
is visible in delineation of forms and treatment of space in his works. And the way he has
deployed the principles of cubism to create the interacting and interplaying planes of
different colours in tonal gradation, to deal with light and shade and to create a sense of
depth and volume really deserves appreciation.

An ardent admirer of masters like Paul Klee and Van Gogh, Nityam’s works have been
featured in numerous exhibitions and events at home and abroad including the Edinburgh
Art Fair, currently held at UK. He has held many successful solo exhibitions across the
country. His works can be found in many prestigious collections in India and abroad.

Presently the artist is working based in Mumbai and New Delhi.

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