CANVAS AND CAMERA

In a book of photographs by the celebrated photographer Nemai Ghosh, artist Paresh Maity is captured in pictures and words

- Lubna Salim

“I’ll request you to take a few minutes break as I have come to an optician,” says PareshMaity, one of India’s most distinguished artists, soon after we exchange niceties to start our WhatsApp interview. “I have an international webinar today and the light from my desktop and phone creates a blue reflection on my glasses. There is a lens that helps avoid this, you know, and it just costs ~1,500,” he explains. This is good information to have in these video calls and webinardriven days, so I am happy to wait.

And when the Padma Shri awardee returns my call exactly five minutes later, I have to ask for his views on social media, particularly on Instagram.

“I don’t do Instagram. In fact, I downloaded WhatsApp only six months ago and that’s because you can always connect with me on it when the network is bad,” he tells me. In any case, he adds, he doesn’t really have the time to devote to upload his artwork on social media.

PURE AND SIMPLE

“Besides, you can never experience feelings and emotions by looking at a painting on a laptop!” says Maity whose latest book, A Portrait Of The Artist In The World, features his art shot by celebrated photographer Nemai Ghosh.