The Artist Explains His Work

“The Post Colonial Gaze 03/The No 6 TMC Building” (above) is part of “Indian Life: An Archeology of Change”, a two-artist show currently on view at Lakeeren Gallery. Here, Kolkata-based artist Saikat Surai explains the work in his own words:

“This is old Kolkata, the north part of it. This is the same building on both sides. The left side is how it was, which exists even today. Old buildings are very symmetrical in nature, so the right side, the new structure, which you see in green, has been re-constructed. The left side is a photograph printed on canvas, while the right side is hand-painted. I was born in a post-colonial nation, in north Kolkata so I grew up seeing all these structures, and slowly I’ve been seeing the change. It’s not about addressing the betterment or worsening of them, but just to address the change. For instance, if you look at the entrance you can see the number six, which is the number of the building. On the other side, just below it you can see the letters TMC. TMC stands for Trinamool Congress. The political party graffitied their name over the original name of the building, so you can’t read the name of the person who owns the building. Now, in the area it’s known as No 6 TMC building. The left image is a digitised image, which I Photoshopped and then printed on a canvas. The right side is hand-painted from a photograph. It’s a look at two phases of the same state.”

LocationLakeeren Gallery
6/18 Grants Building
Second Floor
Opposite Basilico Restaurant
Arthur Bunder Road
Colaba

Phone6522 4179

Relevant DatesUntil Tuesday, September 7

HoursMonday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm; Sunday closed

Websitewww.lakeerengallery.com