Biplab Biswas: The Strokes and Hues of Transcendental Love

His themes are imbued with a profound spiritual wisdom. His lines are deftly executed with a definitive character. His human figures are endowed with impeccable physical beauty. His canvas is impregnated with intriguing detail of color and stroke. The ethereal coalescence of all these elements result in the spectacles of awe and reverence that are the paintings of Biplab Biswas.

Born in 1949 in the small village of Behratpur near Kolkata, Biplab has always evoked a narrative from the rich cultural heritage of India, intertwined with the slow-paced warmth of rural life, harmonious symbolism of nature and drawing on inspiration from the Indian mythology. He completed his education from Rabindra Bharti University in Kolkata while continuously evolving into greater depths of expression with his art.

The Thread of Spiritual Love

As a deeply spiritual individual with a strong belief in a Greater Force, Biplab treads on the path of love and expresses its infinite forms, interactions and manifestations through his work on the canvas. For him, love is the basis of life, an essential thread that ties us all in this Universe. Hence, it is only natural that it should be the foundation of his art themes too.

Biplab’s paintings represent humans in their virtuous glory, in splendid balance with nature and animal life. The imagery is one of positivity and oneness with the creations surrounding us. The satisfaction and fulfillment portrayed through many of the human figures is reminiscent of a past in human history where joy could be derived from a minimalist life lived in pursuit of a greater spiritual wisdom. The stressful physical and mental afflictions of modern life, heartless destruction of other life forms in the guise of development, and a toxic craving for materialistic possessions are completely absent from his paintings. This is one of the reasons why one immediately draws a parallel with life in the villages and the erstwhile ripeness of the human race after looking at Biplab’s art.

Symbols of Transcendent Wisdom

As a strong upholder of the ability of humans to do good if they embrace silence, contemplation and pursue spiritual development, Biplab disseminates this message through profound symbolism in his paintings. Many of the humans in his paintings are devoid of eyes, stressing the need for inner reflection to find peace, a higher purpose and true love. It also exemplifies the concept of thorough introspection and accepting responsibility for one’s actions instead of blaming external forces.

Similarly, humans painted with a single eye illustrate concentration and the need for focus on the pure values of life. Just as an archer captures the target with one eye closed to sharply aim the arrow at it, one should seek the inner divinity in all life forms without distractions of judgment or prejudice. The exquisite amalgamation of men, women, birds, animals and plants in his themes is also a message to this end.

The female forms that predominate Biplab’s paintings depict the pivotal role played by women in the world. As the giver of life, the epitome of beauty, the nurturer of a man’s success and her own, females are powerful in ways that a man cannot even imagine. Hence, their depiction in his art is always in the most magnificent form with elegant bodies, flowing hair, flawless faces and jeweled adornments.

Adding to the aura of historical and mythological metaphors is the swaying, traditional Indian attire of both men and women. The dhotis, headgear, sarees and drapes combined with the physical charms of the perfect bodies are reminiscent of the depiction of Gods and Goddesses in cultural folklore, imparting an intrinsic veneration to the painting.

Artistic Style and Techniques

Biplab’s canvas brims with intersections of straight lines and flowing curves. Like miniature instances of lightning spread across a sky of artistic perfection, these strong lines not only emphasize the dominant theme of his art, but also provide an ethereal sense of depth to his paintings. Replete with fulfilling details such as the delicate eyebrows of the human figures, a flower in the beak of a peacock, or the folds of a flag waving in the air, his creations engage the viewer, arousing a myriad of emotions with the discovery of each minute but rewarding element.

A staunch pursuer of perfection in the basic drawing as a backbone of the painting, Biplab is able to surpass the flat realm of the canvas to create a three-dimensional snapshot of a story in time. Instances of impeccable shadows of objects, a play of light on the faces, lifelike curves of human bodies and a display of wind in the sways and flows of clothes and hair all contribute to achieve that aim. At times, geometrical divisions of the canvas with fissuring black lines on a white shadowy outline lend a theatrical drama to the stationary storytelling.

Be it oils on canvas or acrylics or any other medium, Biplab’s art is instantly recognizable to a person who has seen even one of his paintings. This characteristic immortality, which his art assumes in the memory of the observer, is a testament to the greatness of his signature style.