Between Witness and Imagination: Chandra Bhattacharjee brings a lifetime of observation to Dhaka 

For an artist, a canvas is not merely a surface for imagination; it is a place where time leaves its traces. The landscapes we lose, the crises we witness, the memories we carry and the questions we ask about humanity all find a place within art.

At Galleri Kaya yesterday, renowned Indian artist Chandra Bhattacharjee shared this belief during an intimate interactive session ahead of his first solo exhibition in Dhaka. 

Bringing together artists from Bangladesh and India, the session became more than a discussion on art — it became a conversation about nature, history, society and the responsibility of an artist to observe the world around them.

Bhattacharjee, whose practice has been shaped by decades of observing changing realities, spoke about how art becomes a record of its time. Alongside conversations with fellow artists and participants, the session also featured a live painting exchange, where Bhattacharjee painted together with Bangladeshi artists Chandra Shekhar Dey, Ahmed Shamsuddoha and Ashraful Hasan, as well as Indian artist Atin Basak.

Born in 1960 in Patuli village of Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, Bhattacharjee's journey to becoming a recognised contemporary artist was shaped by both passion and struggle. 

He graduated from the Indian College of Art and Draughtsmanship with first class first in 1986 and received the gold medal for excellence in fine arts from Rabindra Bharati University in the same year. 

He later received the Taj Gaurav Award in 2008, was honoured as an artist-in-residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President of India in 2020, and received the Shilpi Maha Samman from the West Bengal government in 2023.

But before recognition came years of uncertainty and perseverance.

Bhattacharjee discovered his love for painting during childhood in his village school, where he was the only student interested in art.

"When I saw paintings, I felt highly inspired and found it very enjoyable," he recalled.

Gradually he realised painting could become more than just a childhood interest. However, pursuing art professionally was not simple. Coming from a financially struggling family, moving to Kolkata for art education seemed almost impossible.

Instead of depending on others, Bhattacharjee chose to support himself. He worked as a banner and hoarding painter during the day and attended art classes in the evening.

Those years shaped his understanding of discipline and survival, but they also made him question the purpose of art itself. His early academic training focused on accurate drawing and reproducing what he saw. Over time, however, he began searching for a deeper meaning behind artistic expression.

"Art is not just about copying something, whether it is from nature or drawing a model sitting in front of you," he said.

For Bhattacharjee, art is not simply created to decorate walls. It carries the responsibility of reflecting society and preserving the experiences of a particular era.

"Whenever we discuss history, we look mostly toward art," he said, explaining that paintings, sculptures and other visual forms often reveal how people lived, thought and responded to their surroundings.

"The contemporary problems of our times, the things we dislike or like, become the paintings," he added.

This philosophy is visible throughout his body of work. The artist spoke about returning to the landscapes of his childhood after several decades and finding the open fields, mango orchards and natural surroundings of his memories replaced by concrete structures.

"The places we loved are gradually disappearing. We cannot even see an open sky anymore; it has been hidden.These things become fuel for my art,' he added.

The transformation of nature and the consequences of human intervention remain central concerns in his recent works. He spoke about climate change, disappearing greenery and the destruction of ecological balance, saying that artists cannot remain disconnected from the realities around them.

Although he does not consider himself an activist, Bhattacharjee believes painting is his language of response.

"Since painting is my language, whatever distress I feel will come out through my art," he said.

His works often use changing colours, fading landscapes and symbolic imagery to express environmental concerns. For him, art may not immediately change society, but it preserves memory and creates a record of human experiences.

The artist also spoke about his long relationship with Bangladesh. Although this is his first solo exhibition in the country, he has participated in group exhibitions and maintained close friendships with Bangladeshi artists for years.

For Bhattacharjee, art has no geographical boundaries.

"I do not consider myself a foreigner here," he said, describing the connection between artists from Bangladesh and India as one based on shared ideas and creative understanding.

He also praised Bangladesh's contemporary art scene, particularly its printmaking, photography and experimental practices. According to him, artists on both sides of the border engage with similar questions about society, identity and human existence.

His first Dhaka solo exhibition, Between Witness and Imagination, reflects this continuous engagement with contemporary realities. The exhibition explores changing landscapes, ecological imbalance, human vulnerability and the search for individual freedom in an increasingly regulated world.

Often leaving his works untitled, Bhattacharjee allows viewers to form their own interpretations. For him, meaning is not imposed by the artist alone; it is created through a shared experience between the artwork and the viewer.

The solo exhibition of Chandra Bhattacharjee opens at Galleri Kaya later this evening. Through his first solo presentation in Dhaka, Bhattacharjee invites audiences not only to look at paintings but to pause and reflect on memory, nature and a world constantly being transformed.