QUEST FOR SUBLIME

Niren Sengupta's canvas can add colour to the dullest room. A man of sublimity in art, he invokes motifs from animal world, birds, contemporary life and spiritual existence. Team ART SOUL LIFE in a free-wheeling interview with the artist

- Niren Sengupta

Tall, lean frame with joyful eyes, sums up the artist Niren Sengupta’s warm persona. An aura which binds you instantly. An accomplished artist, a devoted teacher, a firm believer and an eternal optimist, Niren Sengupta is everything a teacher aims to be. Hailing from a rich business class family of Bengal, which was into jute trading, Sengupta never went through the pangs of poverty many top echelon artists flaunt as the path to success in the world of art.

“We were six brothers and except for one, all of us were into art. In fact, we had a great time reviewing each other’s work,” recalls Sengupta. Art may not be in the rich business class family but surely it was in the genes. Niren’s brother Rabin Sengupta is another well-recognised artist. “Yes, my mother was very artistic in her own way. She would make very beautiful alpana during festivals.

Today I feel sad that in those days we didn’t have any camera like today to click the photos of the beautiful alpana. Actually, my mother was my inspiration to be an artist,” he reminisces.

Basically a science student, Niren Sengupta later landed in Calcutta Art College. “In those days, every father aimed to make their children doctor or engineer. I had to complete my graduation in science but my drawing was so beautiful the teachers kept my practical file in the college,” laughs Sengupta. “Later I got admission in Art College. Surprisingly, they did not teach water colour in the course. Most of the things I learnt on my own. In fact, this aspect helped me improve the syllabus of Delhi Art College,” the teacher recalls.