Sumanto Chowdhury reimagines places to weave a new world, says Tarunima Sen.
There is something that is vividly familiar about Sumanto Chowdhury’s paintings, even though the places we see do not exist. We see villages unfold into hills, rivers flowing past homes marked with trees, stairways leading to unexpected courtyards, each reimagined from different parts of the country. Rather than depicting them as perceived and seen, Chowdhury puts together these elements he knows and sees into an entirely new world.
Born in West Bengal, he studied at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, before completing his Master’s in Printmaking at the University of Hyderabad. This mixed influence shapes his practice. His paintings show rural Bengal settlements, with the visual rhythms of Hyderabad. Yet, none of the visuals appears as they are; they are reimagined into landscapes that belong to one’s memory and imagination.
One of the most compelling aspects of Chowdhury’s work is that people are rarely seen, yet they are present everywhere. Homes, pathways, courtyards, bridges, cultivated fields and boats suggest lives unfolding just beyond view. We, the viewers, become the missing inhabitant, completing each scene through personal recollection and experience.
And all of this is brought to life through colours, colours that play a central role in the visualisation. Rather than being true to nature, Chowdhury uses colour to organise space and guide the eye across the painting. The greens are placed in the background along with reds, deep blues, ochres and unexpected bursts of pink, creating scenes that come alive in an instant.
Adding to the colourful hues is his print-making training; there is repetition and precision in giving each painting its distinctive character. Each element, roof tiles, foliage, walkways, windows, etc are patiently built, making you linger longer with your gaze as new details emerge long after one’s first impression.
Architecture is blended into nature; they play equal roles, not dominating the other. The seamless relationship reflects visions of habitats where people are defined through the places they build rather than through their portraits.
Chowdhury’s practice extends across paintings, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media; his central theme revolves around creating places that feel emotionally real yet do not belong to one specific region. His works live in a space blended by nostalgia, fantasy and documentation.
Perhaps that is why his paintings leave such a lasting impression. They are not invitations to visit somewhere new, but reminders of places we carry within us. Sumanto Chowdhury creates worlds that are entirely his own, yet somehow one feels as though they have known them all their lives.
Presented by Easel Stories Art Gallery.
