For Douglas John the experience of space, form and light in the urban metropolis like Mumbai has remained possible thread of departure while studying at Sir Jamshetjee Jeejeebhoy (JJ) School of Art, Mumbai and in later years of his art-making process. He completed formal art schooling in 1990 and started teaching at the applied department in the same premise. It was 1993 onwards that he was appointed at the department of fine art which kept him delve on two sides- as an artist and as a professor. His work and research in diverse media using painting, video, and sculpture are significant manifestations of his career in art practice.
Douglas John, mesmerized and fascinated after moving to Mumbai; painted landscapes every day starting early- on streets, upfront structures lend by the British to this city, he asserts, while recalling tonal and angular aspects of light at his Thane studio. His eye for minute detailing, recording form, and space using watercolor and oils began during his art schooling. Douglas John was inspired by the paintings of Thomas Moran, which he had an opportunity to see at an exhibition in 1987 at the National Centre for Performing Art (NCPA), Mumbai. Under influence of S. H Raza, N.S Bendre’s rendition of landscapes, he grew to turn pages of Soviet Union magazine seeing works by Picasso, Van Gogh.
He was observant to study the nuances of light making landscape painting of Mumbai’s Victorian gothic style monuments, colossus BMC building facing Victoria Terminus (present day Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus), and fleeting imageries often recorded as he combed streets at Chor bazaar and many such as a student. The artist set a post-revivalist approach exploring the notion of light- as physical, transient, immersive, and sometimes questioning a lived landscape and sheer activity of every day.
His sculptures and video made the viewer pause and experience the city of Mumbai. The memory lane of bazaars to dabbawallas in their act of balancing translated to sculptures to stepping up on horse-carriage viewing 17 minute film shot in the Victoria carriage was exhibited in his first solo exhibition entitled Mumbai Déjà-vu in 2003. A ride into bygone times giving the viewer a momentous recalibration in time and space.
Douglas John is the recipient of many awards such as - State Award in painting Landscape, Maharashtra State Art exhibition in 1993. The National Achievement Award for Kala Ratna’ presented For outstanding individual achievements and distinguished services To the nation and society in 2008. The National Academy Award in the 60th National Exhibition of Art for Paintings from the series `Inner Divinity’ in 2019.
