Nandan Purkayastha's drawings are full of detail and dimension. The artist uses pen and ink to create expensive spaces rich in mytholgical and historical references. Patterns are deftly overlaid – giving the works tactility and texture of fabric. Distortions of space and time come together to tell complex stories and Purkayastha's fantastical landscapes play with movement and illusion, as in a monumental vision of Taj Mahal rippling as though it is a pool of water. Figures ravage through winding picture frames woven into the star staircase or swirling or cloud animating the inanimate. Bodies and shadows make up a narrative that is sexually deviant, subverting the naive veneer often associated with fairy tales. Pieces are immobile in an elaborate game of chess waiting at the brink of action. Wiring interconnected, yet who pulls the strings in this intricate puppet show?
Purkayastha's art is mostly inspired by Indian mythology. His works in monochrome achieve death and dimension, and the fine black and white spiral pattern give them an antique complexity. He has held shows in Kolkata and Delhi. Endgame 2014 is the artist's second solo exhibition with Art Musings after the successful Monochrome in 1912.
The artist lives and works in Kolkata.
Phone: +912222163339