60 years of being an artist

Veteran artist Jatin Das is not one to exhibit or talk about his work much. But art enthusiasts in the capital have a rare opportunity to experience a retrospective of some of his finest works: a lifetime of paintings on canvas and paper, drawings in conté and ink, watercolours, sculptures, graphics, terracotta, ceramic and porcelain platters, pinch toys as well as his poems and insights about art and life. ‘Jatin Das – A Retrospective: 1963-2023’ at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, is a celebration of six decades of the life of the 82-year-old Padma Bhushan recipient, who is widely regarded as one of India’s eminent contemporary artists. “Like a true artistic sage, Jatin Das paints the world through the lens of his unique perception, crafting masterpieces that dance to his own rhythm,” said Temsunaro Jamir Tripathi, Director, NGMA. Along with the retrospective, a series of events, walkthroughs, and interactive workshops are also planned during the exhibition.

Among other things, this is the first time Das is showing a selection from his student days at the JJ School of Art, which he has preserved for the last six decades. Further, the show has works from his travel journeys, graphics, sculptures, platters and figurines – work that very few have seen. Talking about the artworks, he said, “Each has a different relationship with me. When I finish a work, some works stand tall on their own merit and strength, and those that don’t, go into the bin. Each viewer will find what speaks to them.”

Illustrious Innings

Looking back at his illustrious six-decade long journey as an artist, Das says that he doesn’t see it as a series of highlights and turning points, even though there have been many. “My elders wanted me to do science, but I was keen to do art and managed to go to JJ. I live in the moment. For me, cooking for my friends, gardening, designing furniture, painting, drawing, working on a mural…they are all about immersing oneself in it,” he said.

Source of Inspiration

Analysing his evolution as an artist over the years, Das says that the concepts, ideas and themes in his work have always remained personal. “For the first time in 60 years, I am viewing so many of my works together as an outsider. And I realise that my earlier works were more abstract. Over the years, they have become more detailed. Also, in the 1970s and ‘80s, I did very large works, and my figures had a lot more movement. More recently, the works have become smaller, and the figures are charged from within, looking more still,” he said. Talking about his biggest artistic inspirations over the years, Das explains that he assimilates from various visual cultures, both traditional and contemporary. “If you observe nature – plants, trees, animals, birds – you learn many things: different kinds of colours, lights, forms. Making an image is to approximate nature. You don’t need to invent anything,” he said.

Work in Progress

Das recently returned from a literary festival in Bhubaneswar, where he read some of his poems. He is now planning to make serigraph posters of poems by eminent Odia poets. Further, he is in talks for a big mural in Delhi and is also in the process of doing sculptures at the Bhilai Steel Plant, which was demolished a few years ago. “I just do what my instinct tells me at any given moment,” he concluded.

“My elders wanted me to do science, but I was keen to do art and managed to go to JJ. I live in the moment. For me, cooking for my friends, gardening, designing furniture, painting, drawing, working on a mural… they are all about immersing oneself in it,” — Jatin Das, veteran artist cum Padma Bhushan recipient