Planet earth’s delicately balanced ecology is finding a voice of expression through an artist’s creativity. Like many concerned inhabitants, painter Mousim Mitra says, “The environmental crisis that is looming large on our planet is a known fact, and the ‘Save the Earth’ message should be spread with a certain urgency.”
On his part, he is painting nature’s tale on the canvas, an effort that is visually appealing and message that is worthy too. The collection delves in portraying the contrast in nature — brightness and darkness, stillness and motion, solid form of huge rocks and tranquility of water, solitude in boats and restlessness of a sea or river, energetic red and cold black.
The painter views his work as a reflection of the energy in nature and its different moods. “In all the paintings, the beauty of nature unfolds in its various moods. Often meditative or mysterious, a sense of motion is present in its stillness,” he points out.
Providing further insight into his work and its essence, he adds, “I wanted to capture the energy in nature powerfully. The use of red is dominant in many paintings. Apart from black, I can’t think of any other colour, which can be used so powerfully. The moment any colour or a combination, whether it is black and white or black and red, takes us away from reality, it goes beyond and implies a new meaning. It’s a step from the real to surreal.”
Deriving a connection between the environmental woes and nurturing nature, Mousim says, “I had been exposed to many subjects ranging from technology, films, economy, ecology and many more. But after studying and working for many years, I still find the simple lessons I had learnt during my childhood, to hold a lot of relevance in life. The short stories and poems tell tales of our bond with nature. I never parted ways with those messages and memories. Also at NID, we had courses like design and nature, where we were supposed to study and learn from nature. Today, when I see the crisis of our planet, I go back to those childhood days and find the truth is hidden in those authors’ work. We tend to forget we are very much an
integrated part of nature. We forget to value and
worship nature. And this series of work gives me immense satisfaction in terms of valuing and enjoying
nature.”
Mousim, who is the creative director of an advertisement firm, draws a parallel between his passion and profession. In his opinion, “In fine art, advertising or media art, tools are more or less the same, but the purpose is different. Advertising shapes mass culture, whereas fine art is an individual quest. Unlike commercial media, painting specifically is not dependent on today’s technology. Both have got overlapping areas, but
it’s far apart. In brand communication or advertising I know I am creating for others, whereas in painting I know it is my personal pursuit,” he said.
While exploring all things natural remains Mousim’s forte, he does not hesitate in expanding his artistic horizon. “Apart from nature, I would like to work with human figures. There are certain themes, which make me think and interest me, like river, water and ecology. The human body is another fascinating subject. Someday, I would love to recreate the different facets of human relationships and today’s media environment on the canvas,” on that note, he signs off.