A peek into Kiriti Saha’s introspective art

Kiriti Saha is a contemporary artist who expresses himself through multidisciplinary work. He completed his Bachelor's in Painting from the Fine Arts Department of Chittagong University, and is now pursuing his Master's, while experimenting with new mediums of art.  

He exhibited his work at the 22nd Young Artists Art Exhibition, Chobi Mela Shunno, Miniature Art Exhibition, as well as Talpatachitra and Pata Chitra Exhibition, among other events. He also participated in the Shannidhya Artist Residency programme at Kala Kendra in 2021.

Following his recent exhibition titled, "Mapping Ideas" at EMK Center, he talks about his journey into the art world in a conversation with The Daily Star.

When did you begin your journey as an artist?  

When I was a child, I wanted to be a scientist as I believed that scientists have the ability to create new things and make amazing discoveries. However, my journey through life took me to the threshold of the art world, which I believe is equally thought-provoking. Being an artist lets me think critically about new ideas, presenting me with various perspectives to look at the world.

What do the themes in your artworks signify?

My interest lies in multidisciplinary art forms that deal with both personal and political motifs. Although most of my earlier works represented various socio-political aspects of the contemporary world, lately, I have transitioned into a more introspective form.

One of my earlier works include a series of paintings inspired from historical masterpieces from the Renaissance, where I used the concept of Michelangelo's "David", and incorporated it into my art to depict the audacity of man to commit crimes, and be able to take pride in it.

I also collaborated with other artists on an installation titled, "Evolution, searching & reflection" for the Cheragi Art Show Bhinno at this year's Chobi Mela. We focused on the constant evolution of art in the context of societal changes throughout history.

Could you tell us about your work for "Mapping Ideas"?

My work with the titles, "My inner window" and "Diary" is a representation of my personal musings during the pandemic. My world had shrunk to the confines of four walls leaving me to follow a pattern of mundane activities. But the restrictions on movement and a dearth of art supplies prompted me to find a new medium for expression. Using the pages of the diary as the base, I began painting the elements of my thoughts that developed with my everyday encounters with my surroundings.

The second work is an introspective piece inspired by Leonardo's "Vitruvian Man", which explores his perception on the ideal proportions of the human body. I translated that into my own proportions. The figure is bounded by the lines of a window that represents my connection with the world outside during the days of lockdown.

How do you navigate the art world?

One of the key components of art is that it is present in our daily activities. The way we live and interact with our surroundings have inherent elements that inspires art. I have realised that the more I engage in expressing myself through various art forms, the more I unearth the deeper meanings of life and the mistakes I make propel me to develop as an artist.

I believe that the concept of multidisciplinary art is still new to the art scene in Bangladesh but it is still faring well here, compared to other countries across the globe. Our artists are finding new mediums of experimenting. I hope to contribute more to that as I move forward.

The author is a student of Political Science, and a freelance journalist. Email: mormeemahtab23@gmail.com.