Thou art woman! In Geneva-based Indian artist Dithi Chakrabortty’s work, mythology mingles playfully with colour. Every portrait tells a story of an ancient tradition, such as the one of Kamadhenu – the wish-fulfilling sacred cow – and the mythical golden deer inspired by Bengali poet Radindranath Tagore’s words. In her work, art flirts freely with commerce, and has been sought after by interior designers looking to do up urban Indian homes with a splash of nativity as well as large newspapers for ad campaigns. Dithi offers Lakshmi Krupa a sneak peek into her world of colours, fabled women and folklore...
ARTIST Dithi Chakrabortty, who hails from Bengal, India, currently, calls Geneva her home, from where she creates art that goes on to adorn both homes as décor and newspapers and other commercial spaces as part of campaigns across India. Hers is a story of technology meeting art, for it was her art blog (a weblog of her work) that first brought her fame. The self-taught artist’s earthy, folksy designs with colours that carry urban, aesthetic appeal to both patrons of art and lovers of design. Her artwork, she says, is inspired by the traditions, folklore, women, mythology and all that is India. Let us start at the very beginning. Can you tell us about your childhood and growing up years? Did they have an influence on your artistic pursuits? I was born and brought up in a joyous little part of West Bengal – Bardhamaan (very close to Kolkata). I am the youngest of three sisters. We grew up in a house that was surrounded by rose gardens and tropical fruit trees, where hundreds of parrots greeted you while battling for blueberries on a gigantic ‘Jaam’ tree right in front of your
eyes every summer morning. Those years in our ancestral home were precious. I went to school there. We came often to our North Kolkata home, which subsequently became my second home as I studied Nutrition (5 years, MSc) in Kolkata. I had trained to be a Nutrition expert and was working in Mumbai with hospitals and fitness centres. How did art happen to you? From where I come, art is a family God. We painted every weekend, for every birthday, made ‘alpona’ (Bengali floor designs) for festivals and ‘kirtans’, handcrafted gifts for family and friends. Through college, work and home-making – painting took a back seat. When we moved to Europe, life had to start from scratch – with too many unknowns. I turned to art again; it started as a coping mechanism to deal with this huge change in our lives. Your art of the goddess Durga (like the cover art of this issue of Culturama), has garnered a lot of attention. Is a Bengali identity deeply interwoven with your art? Yes, it is. I am in love with the folk art forms of rural Bengal, namely the Patachitra art (narrative scroll
culturama | october 2011
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