‘Savage Beauty’ Exhibition by ace artist Nilanjan Das was a marvellous display of canvas paintings brought to life by the extraordinary use of charcoal. The collection transcended any other traditional equestrian art as it offered a compelling exploration of grace, spirituality, beauty, and many other traits of equines. Held from 15-19 December at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi, the guest of honour was Mr Aroon Purie, founder of the India Today Group. The creator behind the artworks, Nilanjan Das, is admired for his vivid naturalism. A tete-a-tete with Nilanjan:
1. What drew you to horses?
I started in 2016, and I’m very interested in horses, as they are beautiful animals. They look powerful, agile, loyal, and spiritual. You can’t find so many things in one animal. They are the toughest to draw since they have the most balanced figures. You can’t make any mistakes when painting a horse as it cannot be hidden. Charcoal on canvas is also a challenge. Once you start working on charcoal, you can’t clean or erase it. So, that is a double challenge.
2. Why did you choose charcoal as the medium?
Black and white creates a powerful energy. When you start drawing, especially a horse, making it coloured won’t have the same energy and power.
3. You have painted many poses of a horse, like galloping, running, and standing…which is your favourite?
My favourite is called ‘The Emperor’, and it has royalty. Looking at him, you can see the story behind his eyes. You can see how he enjoys himself and lives a full life. Drawing a horse’s hair was a meticulous process that took me a month to create as it had layer after layer of hair inside.
4. Which work is very close to your heart?
One of my other favourites is ‘Dream’, the only fully white horse in the exhibition. I deliberately painted the horse on a black canvas, as anything white on a black background looks pious, peaceful and spiritual. This is not a horse but an angel. The whole picturisation and presentation is very majestic.
5. For a layperson, all horses look the same. But in your paintings, a clear distinction can be made. How did you draw the same?
You may look at the horse and say, this is a normal horse, but if you look carefully, horses have personality and character. When you look at two horses very minutely, you will find a subtle difference. All horses that have been drawn are different, and not even one of them is the same.
6. What do you feel is special about painting horses?
These paintings are very close to my heart and the medium, too, because everything is felt and touched. I don’t use any brush or pencil. I only use my hand, thumbs, and eraser. The challenging part is not the painting but the effort to keep the canvas white.
7. How important do you feel it is for a person to come to an actual art gallery instead of seeing it online or in a digital format?
I will answer the question by giving an example; it is similar to how watching a polo match on television or a mobile phone is… altogether a different experience from watching it live. Until and unless you are physically present, you won’t understand the energy of what the artist wants to depict and the subject.
8. What is your next project?Â
Next up, I am doing huge black-and-white landscapes with charcoal on canvas. Previously, I have done oil, acrylic, and digital art. Now, I am working with AI, and very soon, I am going to have a huge AI exhibition called ‘Artificial Intelligence and Art, ‘ which is about how AI mimics the artist’s mind. This I am doing in the US.
