Artist Biplab Sarkar’s exhibition I wonder revolves around his observations of street vendors which inspired him to balance his work and chaos in everyday interactions. By Team Viva
It’s very evident that your art has been inspired by everyday things and especially the life of hawkers. What inspired you to paint them?
Life does not hand out benefits evenly and there are people who are less fortunate. My case was similar. My family’s financial conditions were not good and completing my education became a challenge for us. Though I managed to complete it through my savings, my mind was always in a chaos due to financial hardships which always bothered me and prevented me from being at peace. During my graduation in History Honours, I also worked as a part-time drawing teacher in a school. I had to take a break for two to three months from my job to prepare for my final year exams. Post exams, the school refused to re-hire me. Working, for me, was essential as I did not have a strong financial background. I wanted to pursue Fine Arts so I appeared for an exam and was selected at Shantiniketan. I travelled for three hours every day from Kolkata. Later, I moved to Delhi for Masters in Fine Arts from Delhi College of Arts. But I faced a lot of difficulties as the curriculum, culture and way of teaching was very different from that of Shantiniketan. This held me back from focussing on my studies.
Often I observed roadside hawkers who, despite their troubled lives, have managed the chaos and continued with their work. This spirit inspired me. Their mantra of balancing work and life drew me towards them. I started talking to them and understanding their state of mind. I began to sketch them.
Is there a particular thing about hawkers that you want to highlight through your art?
Yes, of course. All these hawkers selling their wares on the streets have many domestic problems and yet they manage to remain calm. When I began talking to them, I realised that the common notion about hawkers is that they are extremely poor and hence, we purchase something from them so that we can help them. However, this is not true for everyone. One might be surprised to know that these people make around Rs 35-40,000 per month. While returning from work, I observed that they took reserved rickshaws, while I travelled by a bus. All these details excited me and drew me towards understanding their mindset. I started observing their gestures and manners through which they executed their work irrespective of all that surrounded them. With no financial or political burden, they are content and happy. I have highlighted the same in my art.
How do you explore the relationship between body and object in an urban setting through your work?
The hawkers sell their objects as salesman, as there is a significant difference in the price of objects in stores and what they sell. There are quite a few mediums of making objects , one of them being plastic. For me, both object and figure are important, but I have highlighted both separately in my work. I have used pen and ink to outline the objects. This describes the relationship between body and object while distinguishing them from each other.
Since you communicated with hawkers for your art, can you share some of the anecdotes or stories that you came across?
I have spoken to a few hawkers, out of which two of them were elderly and have been working for almost 20-25 years. One of them told me the story of his two sons who are working in the government sector. Their daily schedule bored them so they came to street to sell objects to break the monotony of their lives. Another hawker told me about an incident 20 odd years back which I remember only faintly. He saw someone place a bomb inside a dustbin near India Gate. During those days, there wasn’t any security in that area. The hawker I spoke to was the first person to notify the police of this incident. So, yes, one comes across many such stories while talking to these hawkers as they are the eyes and ears in a busy working street even as we don’t pay attention.
You were honoured with the ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ award in 2018. How do you think such awards help artists get the recognition they deserve?
Glenfiddich’s Artists in Residence programme is a great platform for emerging Indian artists as it provides inspiration and guidance to grow one’s artistic vision. Being selected as the Glenfiddich ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ and to represent the country on a global platform gave a tremendous boost to my confidence. The jury that judges the works includes leading artists, gallery owners, art critics and art collectors During the three-month residency at the Glenfiddich distillery, I got the opportunity to engage with artists from different countries and cultures, which opened an all new world for me. We were closely mentored by the Global Curator of the programme, Andy Fairgrieve.
How have you showcased the difference between hawkers in Scotland and India in your work?
There is a huge difference in their work styles in terms of discipline. In Scotland, the workers in the distillery organise themselves according to time. Each process is timed including the breaks, whereas in India the hawkers work according to their state of mind, mood and availability of objects. Sometimes a hawker is replaced by another family member or friend, depending on their availability during the day. They even work shift wise where one family member takes after the other in the latter part of the day. They take breaks according to their mood and situations surrounding them. Hence, discipline is the major difference I spotted during my time in Scotland.
What is your take on Glenfiddich’s Artists in Residence Programme?
It is a great platform for emerging Indian artists as it provides the inspiration and guidance to grow one’s artistic vision. The experience was nothing short of life-changing. It helped me to learn and explore the culture from Scotland and draw inspiration from it to curate my work. Additionally, the showcasing of one’s work at this level opens up a plethora of opportunities for an artist which, otherwise, could have been a major challenge for someone coming from a background like me. The jury involved in the judgment process is of international standards, which lifts one’s confidence to a higher level and being recognised by them is nothing less than a lifetime achievement.
(The exhibition is on till February 9 at Art District XIII.)
