An artist driven by rich traditions and human predicaments

Constantly absorbing influences and images from his environment like a video camera, the experiences and impressions act as a source of motivation or as a reference point to Jatin Das.

The artist can be inspired by even a simple interaction or a complex churning of thoughts. Sometimes he looks at his earlier works and might draw something entirely new from an old theme. Spontaneity imparts freshness in one’s work, he emphasizes. A painting is something beyond a painter, he reveals. “I portray human forms - sometimes metaphoric, sometimes poetic and suggestive, at other times. I don’t paint to a specific theme. It takes its own shape automatically.”

The mystifying human figures within the compositions, mostly devoid of any embellishments and bare from the beginning itself, seem to speak their own language and convey shades of emotions. A female figure even doesn’t have hands because they are not needed, he explains. They exude subtle sensuality, amplifying the beauty of form and the emotions within them.

Providing an insight into his working process and philosophy, an elaborate essay by The Wall Street Journal critic Margot Cohen notes: “The renowned painter has his own interpretation of modernism. Over the course of his career, his large oil canvases have featured muscular human figures – limbs akimbo, devoid of any ornamentation.

“The backgrounds remain abstract, with shifting fields of color and confident lines that define the composition. Such works first brought him acclaim in the 1960s and '70s, and they continue to win him admirers today. Some critics note the erotic vitality of his artworks – from jutting hips, and sometimes playful, coquettish poses. Such energy also comes across in his watercolors, drawings, murals and sculptures.”

Human predicament, emotions and experiences inspire Jatin Das, who is also staunchly determined to spread awareness about India’s rich traditional art forms and preserve them for generations to come.