Date - July 2009
In the history of the practice of Indian Modern Art, from the very beginning, Santiniketan has always played a vital role. Instead of developing a space for the practice of art in Kolkata, Rbindranath Tagore established his Santiniketan in a rural Santal Palli (village of a tribal ethnic group). The reason was that he had been trying to establish an Asram (ancient Indian schooling) in a modern format, where student could live in the direct contact with nature to take education.
In my six years student life in Kolkata, I often took journey to Santiniketan whenever I got time. It always gave me a refreshment to start my art work in a fresh way.
At the time of Mayor election in Kolkata city in 2009, I was very irritated by the situation. The city was full of noise and the false promises shamelessly given by the political leaders. At the end of the day I found that people do know all about these and they also laugh behind them. Finally, I realized that I was in a city where everybody wears mask to hide their true colour.
Like most of the time I took decision to take journey to my holy place, Santiniketan, where I always find all my peace. One day very early in the morning I painted my face with the colour red and with that red face I took all through the journey. People in the bus, at the station, on the road and in the train compartment asked me a lot of questions --- all of which were more or less the same. I explained as much as I could. Some were satisfied and some found me weird. After reaching Santiniketan I washed the colour off to receive the enthusiasm which I always get from Santiniketan, and thus to welcome a new beginning.
