A myriad display of colours

HYDERABAD: Astroll through city-based artist Sumanto Chowdhury’s works titled My Pictorial Space, displayed at the State Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, unravels winding alleyways of small-indian towns — intertwined with a fantasy landscape of artist’s own making. His experiments with colour pencils, watercolours, acrylics, wood work, etching and lithography, led him to create uniquely-layered paintings and sculptures that are different from what we usually see.

The artist who left no stone unturned to make his art pieces worth looking at, catches up with CE as he continues to showcase his works at the gallery till September 10. Sumanto, from Kolkata, pursued a Masters degree in Hyderabad in 2004, and shifted base here. “I wanted to work with my inspiration — renowned painter Laxma Goud. Unfortunately, the artist retired by the time I approached him. Then in 2009, things changed. Laxma Goud inaugurated my first solo art show and gave me an opportunity to work for his studio,” shares Sumanto.

Since 2009, Sumanto has continued to work with Laxma Goud. “He guides me. He made me what I am today,” adds the artist.The artworks displayed at State Art Gallery are a result of two pandemic-worn years of toil. “I have worked from home for the last two years. Most of the materials/art supplies were available at home. Besides, I collected scrap wood from carpenters and turned them into painted sculptures,” says Sumanto, adding, “I longed to do a solo show at State Art Gallery for it offers the space required to showcase my artworks. I have different varieties in different sizes.”

Speaking more about his style, the artist adds, “I like working on landscape and cityscapes. I am also gravitated towards miniatures, and it is reflected in my paintings. Apart from painting, I also make sculptures with fiberglass and wood. I usually paint them vividly.”

The current show is the artist’s 9th solo show. As he signs off, he adds, “In the future, I plan to experiment with other mediums. For instance, zinc plate — I usually dip it in acid and print manually. Recently, I used zinc plates in wooden sculptures. I hope to mold these zinc plates and embed them to wood sculptures.”