The speech delivered on the evening of the inauguration of the solo exhibition, “The Stardust in Your Veins,” by Mr. Thierry Morel, Consul General, Consulate of France.

Inaugurated by Mr. Thierry Morel Consul General Consulate of France

Essayist: Nanak Ganguly

In the presence of Dr. Rahas Mohanty Regional Secretary Lalit Kala Akademi 85 AJC Bose Road, Kolkata – 700014

With a journey spanning over two decades, Swagata has developed a distinct style that blends realism with a profound emotional depth. Influenced by both Indian and Western masters, her art captures the raw essence of life, whether through evocative nudes, vivid landscapes, or powerful social commentaries.

In the heart of the bustling city of Kolkata, there lives an artist whose life and work are a testament to the transformative power of art. Swagata Bose's journey is one of passion, resilience, and unwavering dedication—a story that reflects not only her personal growth but also the evolving landscape of contemporary Indian art. Born into a family that cherished and celebrated creativity, Swagata Bose was immersed in an environment where artistic expression was encouraged from a young age. Growing up in New Delhi, she found herself drawn to the colors, shapes, and emotions that art could evoke. Her family, recognizing her talent and interest, nurtured her early inclinations, providing her with the support and freedom to explore her artistic impulses. The household often buzzed with discussions about literature, music, and visual arts, instilling in her a deep appreciation for the cultural riches of both India and the wider world.

After completing her schooling at Mater Dei Convent in New Delhi, she took a significant step towards her dream by enrolling at The College of Art, Tilak Marg. It was here that she truly began to hone her craft, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Applied Art in 1989. The rigorous training she received at the College of Art provided her with a solid foundation in the technical aspects of art, while also encouraging her to explore and experiment with various forms and mediums. The exposure to both traditional and contemporary art forms at the institute played a crucial role in shaping her creative vision.

Her early career was marked by a blend of illustration and freelance work. Swagata became a familiar name in advertising houses and publications, lending her creative touch to various projects ranging from book illustrations to corporate branding.

O dyssey of The Last One Decade 2011-2022, an art exhibition by Swagata Bose and curated by art historian and art critic Prasanta Daw brought to the fore the artist’s observations and emotions felt during her visits to different places in India. Exhibited at Maya Art Space from February 21 to 25, it was inaugurated by sculptor Tarak Garai, film director Goutam Ghose, painter Subrata Gangopadhyaya, writer Aditya Sen, sculptress Uma Roy Chowdhury, painter and KMC councillor Sheila Kapoor, singer Srabani Sen and others. “I made some of the sketches on spot sitting on jeeps and beaches as I became a witness of the people and place, breathing in the air and the atmosphere and my oeuvre is about my keenness to be close to nature and my subject revolves around people, animals, flora and fauna of different regions. After my successful exhibition on nudes called La Venus the Being and the Body, where my focus was figure centric, my interest shifted to the background like nature, giving it equal prominence, as much as my continued interest in the foreground, the people, the figures,” said Bose who captured Ravanwalas of Tatarpur, fishermen folk of Talsari in Orissa, sandhya arati in Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar and more in her large and small canvas.

Art is understood and finds meaning when a lifetime is spent in pursuing the mind and the thoughts within the artist in solitude in harmony with nature. Every painter follows life and aspires in his lifetime to create a body of work which imparts pulsating life with great art. I consider myself to be an artist with a mission ,challenging my creative thought process to stretch beyond its comfortable zone My creative satisfaction is derived from delivering something new and fresh. I also believe that I would want to document the times to which I belong as a true artist, trying to capture images I see in subjects and objects that intrigue my point of interest. I strive to look for “the moment” in time which withholds the tension, emotion, movement in my creative space. My forte is figurative drawing in contemporary style ,a style I have adapted true to my nature and hope will stand its own. I don’t always follow the narrative but tend to create a body of work on the subject I approach with fervour. My interest at that point becomes the subject reacting to light, the lines, the dramatic intermingling of colours, though my pallete is more often of a monocromatic toneage, a subtle composition obtained therefore to give the moment in the painting almost a lifelike space.

Full time Artist

Deepest condolence on the passing of Eminent Artist, Wasim. R. Kapoor Swagata Bose Atelier and Studio of Art ‘ Garden of Joy’

A film on the pandemic, so poignant of the times,… Goutam Ghose has immortalized the pandemic time period in the film for generations to come. My paintings on Migrant labourers was used in the film to accentuate the misery they faced. I am truly fortunate to be part of this great film. Goosebumps.

My Atelier and Gallery of Art , dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Joydeep Mukherji who chose to define his life’s journey with a magnanimous ,joyous and ever giving larger than life heart and spirit,resonating love,friendship and Joy amongst us all. We are truly blessed to have known him in his lifetime and today I am sure he is there in spirit to cheer us like he always does and we choose to celebrate his spirit with a laugh and a smile,even though our hearts are breaking. My association with Joy was brief but fulfilling and his love for art was the string that brought us together. What surprised me was his curiosity,and deep understanding of colours, light, form and perspective and he would not tire of inspecting every detail of a painting till he made up his mind and in my case, he gave nine paintings the coveted wall space in his beloved home with a laugh and a Thank you “S”. He gave immense value to my style of works, encouraged and complimented them, and today it is in that spirit that I dedicate my Gallery space to his ever joyous spirit naming it the ‘Garden of Joy’.I say Thank you Joy and wish you all the rainbow colours of the pallete, happiness, mirth and more and may you soar to greater heights in the gardens of stars and galaxies and continue to bless us. Thank you.

Swagata Bose
Artist

Painter Swagata Bose was born and brought up in an enlightened family, destined to be an artist since her childhood. On completion of final school exams she did not face any difficulty to attain her desired goal. She passed out with flying colors from Delhi College of Art(1989) in Applied Arts. Swagata worked as a freelance illustrator in different advertisement agencies with eminence. But she was not satisfied,as her creative soul wanted to cross the limited boundaries of Applied Arts with a view to delineate own thoughts freely. In the beginning she drew some landscape in a miniature format, depicting superb beauty of ever-changing nature. Particularly a few panorama on Talsari and Sundarban reflect the exquisiteness of unmixed nature. On the other hand physical elegance of human body find expression in the form of nude study and portraiture, with right proportion and resemblance. As for example portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Pranab Mukhopadhaya, Satyajit Ray, Sachin Tendulkar to name a few can be cited. Her nude studies portraying diverse gesture-postures of models are praise-worthy for its proper character and figure interpretation. Apart from the above, paintings on Sadhu series deserve special mention for its compact composition and expressive expressions in details. Swagata does not stick to any particular theme for a long time. Myriad thought-provoking matter crowd in to her depictions, such as common birds, Misty Sundarbans, Talsari etc. In the present adverse pandemic situation this enthusiastic artist is portraying the unfortunate aspect of the ill-fated immigrant workers which mark the social consciousness of the painter. Her art works are characterized by realistic approach, developed with aesthetic sensibility as well as expressive value. During almost three decades of journey as an artist, Swagata Bose held several one man shows and participated in many group exhibitions, and also received some awards. This is not the end. She has long way to go and we hope there would be a breakthrough progress in her future representation also.

Calcutta
Prasanta Daw
17th October 2020

Art historian and Critic.

Art is understood and finds meaning when a lifetime is spent in pursuing the mind and thoughts within the artist in solitude ,in harmony with nature.My interest in Nude comes from my love of what is pure and in tune with nature’ s purest form.When you take away the thin veil,what remains is the fine form sans the mask ,hence making the subject vulnerable and delicate,yet closest to being real.Nude is this form of nature, be it depicted in its natural perception where Nude then is also the stripping away of layers of fabricated illusions. My thrust to all my series has been to get to that window where I can develop the third eye to go beyond to that space where Nude becomes the barrier which has been diminished and what remains is the simple truth of nature ripe with the real and the vulnerable. Talsari,the life of fishermen of Orissa is also that space which has been lost to modernatization of the simplicity of community and culture which also brings in the realism of folk art forms which became roots of our culture and epics written in extravagant imagery strewn with belief and faith, …my series Raavana- the making, the real and simple life of the Titarpur Banjar family,pursuing an art form from generations.Nude is nature in its openness and whole,where the Circle of Life,birth ,hunger,lust and death is life in the raw and nude.Therefore my effort is to be in tune and one with nature which is the only true way I can worship life .

A series which I have been working on recently during the Covid 19 Novel Corona Virus pandemic in lockdown days after having visited and been a witness to the magnetic ,mysterious,beautiful and exotic beauty of the landscape of Sundarbans, it’s quiet and sombre Misty mornings when the landscape becomes an abstract painting of mist and marshland and as the sun rises ,the hues change to different shades of green and yellow of the forests with the sudden glimpse of the colourful Kingfisher and the pristine Egret , golden deers , grey white crocodile brings the magic alive.. Ofcourse the view of the Tiger is a rare. But that was yesterday and today the devastation caused by the super cyclone Amphan has turned the landscape into a heap of destruction.I have no doubt that nature has a way to heal itself but the process to rebuilding the habitation in the parts is going to be a huge challenge since the people of the area having survived the cyclone Alia had barely gotten back to their feet . This series is now a memory of the time before Amphan spread its fangs . I pray for Bengal.

@
Swagata Bose
Artist
3 A Ashoka Road Al

A view from my Terrace;early morning 5:30 am. The two Shaliks( Common Mynas) seem to give a message of Hope at the break of Dawn while seemingly maintaining social distancing themselves. Acrylic on canvas Size:6ftx1.6 ft As a narrative artist,I have felt the need to address the happenings during the period of the lockdown;the every day issues and occurances have been a matter that has been disturbing and heartbreaking at the same time .A sense of utter helplessness has compelled me to ponder upon them .I have worked with dry pastel and mixed media on paper with these small A4 size works. As I am an artist who is inspired with what I see rather than what I imagine, whether it is a Nude,a landscape series, a portrait or still life,my narrative is contemporary and realistic.I work with direct brush strokes and wash on canvas and my pallete is monochromatic.In a blank space,I give value to the composition and I also believe in achieving the 3 rd dimension within the frame of the canvas and composition.

Tolerance is a virtue. In the context of what Humankind is facing today, survival is what we are hoping for. In the present scenario of the global pandemic, the barbaric act of Intolerance towards another of our Humankind cannot be pardoned or tolerated. Live and Let Live. Let breath We live in Hope The Face of Hope.

Today on World Environment Day,we humans ought to take a pledge to protect our environment,our animal / bird /insect life,plant life because if we fail to do that we are in grave danger ourselves.In the recent unfortunate happenings with the mother elephant in Kerela, the reason now debated, rampant negligence comes to the fore as the cause for whatever reason is deliberate and cruel to any animal, elephant or boar. Nearer to home our callous attitude to dispose waste, sometimes with glass and plastic is often a cause of death of an innocent animal . Sometimes these are done without awareness of harm that can be caused.Ofcourse there is no debate that man has been the sole cause of environmental disaster whether at a personal level, industrial level,housing,infiltration, destruction…the accusations can be endless.It is time to recognise the need of the hour otherwise the Human kind will not be spared by nature.It will gets its revenge.

Living beings are instinctively a migratory species, their natural instinct is to seek,to search, to want, to need, to interact and intermingle, assimilate and evolve. These are activities which are performed consciously and unconsciously on a daily basis. The COVID 19 pandemic has put traps and locks on humans all over the world; bottled and caged the human and taken away their rights to live a normal existence of life. Humanity is forced to face this challenge to its mental health as much as physical well-being in the present scenario of circumstances.

Do we migrate only in the being? Our mind is travelling all the time due to reasons unknown,like dream sequences we live in real life.Like now…. Suddenly ,we feel like aliens in our own world.Our comfort zone is no more an option and we have been forced to think out of the box.The behaviour patterns and social tapestry has changed form forever .The new world demands a different set of ideas and norms which we are not familiar with.A new chapter which is challenging us to the utmost.Can we survive like this? It’s a question that we are all asking ourselves.For the time being, there is no alternative approach.It is mind over matter.We are left to embrace this chapter of our lives or we perish. I have set my mind free.In my style I have left my comfort zone .

Humans have gone under.2020 has brought forth an unpredictable World where human beings have been rendered powerless.Its awakening time.

The daily wagers who left their home in villages in the different states of India for a distant state for better livelihood, thinking that the grass was greener on distant pastures suffering the lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic …jobless, penniless, helpless, frustrated, hungry, and tired..their pathetic condition is worse than death itself.

My mind is running riot. The devastation caused by Super Cyclone Amphan has left it’s trail of destruction in Sundarbans. Destruction…it’s horrific, dark shadows leave deep scars, never forgotten.

A series which I have been working on recently during the Covid 19 Novel Corona Virus pandemic in lockdown days after having visited and been a witness to the magnetic ,mysterious,beautiful and exotic beauty of the landscape of Sundarbans, it’s quiet and sombre Misty mornings when the landscape becomes an abstract painting of mist and marshland and as the sun rises ,the hues change to different shades of green and yellow of the forests with the sudden glimpse of the colourful Kingfisher and the pristine Egret , golden deers , grey white crocodile brings the magic alive.. Ofcourse the view of the Tiger is a rare.

The struggle of life and livelihood continues in the Sundarbans as the people of the region suffer the devastation caused by the super cyclone Amphan which has destroyed their shelters,farm land, electric poles, trees and forests and fisheries.The saltwater which has entered the farmland has turned the soil into dust forever.It may take years to get back what is lost in those parts as tourism has already taken a big hit. Various organisations are trying to reach out a helping hand with contributions for the need of the hour, clothes,food packets. I am doing my bit .

I had the opportunity to visit the studio of my artist friend Swagata at Alipore. Housed in the ground floor of her residence.Led by a garden path with flower pots in a quaint house of British-Calcutta architecture. As she greeted me at the portico and I entered, I realized that it is a studio cum residential quarter, much like my father’s library cum living room. There were paintings stacked all over. Not in any particular order or theme. Some on subjects, some on size, some on medium. All among signs of living: with glasses, a dining table, fridge and books strewn all over. There were paintings the size of Bill Boards to Miniatures. Subjects ranging from seaside scene to small abstracts.

“‘Nude’ is to me the most glorious subject for the artist’s brush and, hence, the most challenging. The tension between the prestigious position of the nude, and the anxieties caused by sexual overtones implicit in the portrayal and observation of the nude female body, is at the core of the challenge.” ~ Swagata Bose

Swagata Bose, recently held her showing ‘Metal and Brush’ with sculptor Shankar Ghosh in Mumbai at the Artist Centre (14-20 April). Swagata and I went to college together. Going to art college with someone usually translates to a lifetime of friendship based on shared insanity, deep conversations, and setting up exhibits. 🙂

Over the years Swagata’s work has taken the form of a range of series, each reflecting a different exploration of line and shape, color and contour, emotions and enigmas. What ties them all together is her inimitable style, where she lets paint drip over the canvas to repeatedly pile it back again, carrying on this process till the drama of that moment captured on canvas is expressed.

Her series include the much acclaimed, and her own personal favorite, La Venus – The Being and The Body – which celebrates the 21st century woman – powerful, while still sensuous and distinctive in her style.

In La Venus, the model is past the prime of her youth and Swagata makes no attempt to transform her into shapely proportions reminiscent of the classical Venus. Her nude is instead a breathing body animated by an erotic vigor – a woman’s physical being seen through the language of her bared flesh. Reclining, crouching or seated, the nude’s face is at times obscured by darkness, or cut off by the frame or turned away from the viewer. But that does not suppress, or rob her of her individuality.

And then there is Talsari where Swagata delves into the rustic dignified simplicity of the fisher-folk at Talsari, a beach 220 kilometers from Kolkata, her present home. Birds, in contrast, is poetry in deft detail, mourning the slow extinction of a species as a result of mankind’s careless exploitation of the environment.

Completely aware and at ease with her self, her creativity built passionately over the years, Swagata reminds me of Pablo Picasso’s famed quote “Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

Some of her works from the exhibition. Enjoy.

The work of Delhi born painter Swagata Bose, embodies the artist’s strong connection to the world around her. Her mission is not just to capture the image of what she sees, but to transcend the seen, and imbue her works with qualities that describe more than merely physical form. She seeks to express the unseen spirit that brings form to life. The artist specifically chooses subjects with which she feels a profound connection, and it is this heart-felt empathy that allows her to uncover the hidden dimensions in her representation.

Bose comes from a family of intellectuals, and her interests are widespread. Her main focus is the human condition, as a general subject for discussion and debate. However, at the same time, she is relentlessly interested in the history, culture, and religions of the Indian sub-continent, and relates these to the diversity of contemporary life that they underpin.

The main body of work of Swagata Bose is concentrated on the figurative, for which she holds a passion and fascination. For Bose, the nude is the most sincere, and vulnerable, portrayal of the human soul. When people are stripped of all the signifiers that tell us who they are, and lead us to pass judgement, we are left with the purity of the person. Finding new ways of expressing this quality has been a lifelong pursuit for Bose, which she explored in her acrylic painting series LA Venus, The Being and The Body. This consists of 28 large, 5-6ft, canvases of textural female nudes. The figures, set on dense, dark backgrounds, are painted as if bathed in light, and appear to project beyond the surface of the canvas.

Photographs from my Open Studio ,," Silence has an Expression;2012 "at Artfunkl,Manchester,United Kingdom with Director of Artfunkl, Ms. Judith Underwood and fellow local artists of Manchester,who came for the walkthrough.