Paresh Maity unplugged

Artists see things differently. Thanks to that special gift, the world also begins to see and appreciate the vision of the creator.

- SHOBHAA DE

My attitude towards the prickly jackfruit changed forever when Paresh Maity immortalised it in bronze. A gigantic version of the fruit was on display at Bikaner House in Delhi (2022) at Paresh’s solo exhibition, titled Infinite Light. The jackfruit was described as India’s largest bronze sculpture.

“The structure of the fruit depicts life in the city,’’ Paresh said. He saw what most of us didn’t! That’s what makes Paresh, a Padma Shri award recipient, a sought-after artist, acquired by galleries and collectors who dote on the Delhi-based, beret-wearing artist with a master’s in fine arts from the College of Art, Delhi. ‘The Force’ is his most iconic sculpture, made of 8,500 bells. But it is his vivid water colours I lust after. Paresh says watercolor is the most difficult medium in the field of art.