Prajjwal Choudhury’s artistic concerns

The artist’s socially sensitive oeuvre is primarily marked by its harking back to a particular concern. He touches upon the theme of a capitalist society driven by a consumerist attitude. It seems as if he is protesting the way we deploy and easily discard everyday objects. Ubiquitous items like bottles and matchboxes that form the core of his creative process carry little value in our eyes.

At another level, he is perhaps trying to underline our tendency of taking everyday objects for granted. Prajjwal Choudhury starts of his quest for the unusual from such ubiquitous objects like matchboxes to carve his captivating creations. His art moves beyond the confines of canvas or sculpture and rather attempts at framing within his aesthetic space, uncanny phrases and visual assortments of the byproducts of recycling.

Apart from ‘India Awakens’ in Klosterneuburg (2010); other significant shows he has featured in are at the 12th Harmony Art Show (2006); International Print Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal (2005);; 77th All India Art Exhibition (AIFACS) at New Delhi in 2004, apart from a group exhibition at M.S.U, Baroda, 69th All India Art Exhibition at Academy of Fine Arts (Kolkata), and 47th National Exhibition of Art in the same year. Among other shows are 18th All India Art Exhibition, Nagpur (2003); Two Men Show at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata (2002), also having featured in a group show at the academy and the 3rd Eastern region Art Exhibition, Kolkata.

For instance, his series ‘Drift’ at Project 88 in Mumbai (2008) had works, which were a mockery of the beauty that a consumerist attitude aspires for, in actuality. On the other hand, his work that formed part of 'Re-claim, Re-cite, Re-cycle' (Bose Pacia, Kolkata 2009; curator: Bhavna Kakar) analyzed and documented artistic imaginations and representations of recycling. Its latent idea was to perceive the process as an all-pervasive phenomenon, encompassing nearly every aspect of modern life - right from our desktops to the writing pads and bottles.