Jatin Das: ‘I do what I like; don’t work according to the demands of buyers and galleries’

You have been a part of the Indian art fraternity for years now, How would you describe your journey?

It is very difficult to explain the journey of an artist. Each one of us is born with a god-gifted talent in our DNA. But, in spite of the talent, one has to practice, do riyaaz, study, and put in a lot of hard work. So, it has been a long journey of hard work and dedication. Fortunately, I have had many great gurus to learn from. And I don’t compare myself with anybody else either. I live on the sale of my paintings; not for selling. I am a painter, but I want to become an artist, like Krishna who has 64 arts (chousath kala).

Your views on the evolution of Indian art over the years — it is something you personally approve of (or do you feel there is something lacking)?

Asia, in particular India, has a rich heritage of painting, sculpture, dance, music, and poetry. We don’t have to go anywhere in the world to learn; one lifetime is not enough. When you look at the sculptures of Mahabalipuram, Konark, Cholabronzes, and Khajuraho, there are no signatures on the artwork. But they are still alive. However, people in India have been aping the West for a long time; even after independence, they are not rooted in the country and do not enrich themselves with extraordinary artwork. In all the art colleges, the arts syllabus is faulty. The mindset among young artists is to become rich and famous… so, the least said the better.

 

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Today, technology has become a huge part of the world of art — from NFT to AI. Do you perceive these advancements to be a threat to the traditional artist?

The British divided traditional art as craft and contemporary art as modern art. Frankly, traditional artists are much more sensitive than contemporary artists. These days, around the world, a lot of artists explain their art and narrative, what a pity!

How important is it for an artist to adapt to and adopt the changes happening in society and why?

There is a difference between an illustrator political narrator, a social narrator, and an artist who expresses himself from the inner core, according to his or her own journey. An artist is a loner, he has his own journey, but of course, there are many types of artists, and each one of them has a place in society.

 

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Confluence 23, an ongoing project by Welham Old Boys Society, seems to have impressed you. What about it did you like the best?

I was happy to attend the Welham Old Boys Society’s event. I am always interested in looking at others’ work if there is depth and sensitivity. Today, everybody is in a hurry, including artists, who are racing to make an impact. But I was happy to see that some qualified doctors, architects and others tried their hand at painting. Everybody is free to sing, dance, paint or write poetry for themselves, but if you put it in public, there is different responsibility.

That’s exactly what you also said in one of your previous interviews — how you find exhibiting works to be a tedious affair. How else can an artist engage with his viewers and put out his message?

To start with, I have no message for viewers — what is put up in gallery spaces during exhibitions — as I don’t explain my paintings to anybody, ever. I used to exhibit a lot in the past, because of the demand of the gallery, but now, I show once in five years. I have exhibited maybe 10-15 per cent of my works, the rest are in the studio. Many of my works are not for exhibitions.

Exhibiting is a tiring affair because one has to do photography, put title, size, and year, get mounting and framing done, oversee publication – brochure, and ensure appropriate packing. In spite of help from others, one has to supervise each of the above, because artists are very fussy about their work. An exhibition is a public domain, after it finishes one has to completely withdraw, to one’s private space.

 

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Amid the pandemic, you made 200 sketches on the mass exodus. How much do your surroundings affect your work? 

During the pandemic, I was in Asiad Village (New Delhi) and did thousands of sketches of plants and flowers, as I  walked through the parks. But I was highly moved by the mass exodus of workers who were going back to their village, by foot, by cycle, and on roofs of busses and trains. I did thousands of drawings with ink and had a  show at the Art Alive Gallery of about 50 works. I do what I like, what my inner mind says, I don’t work according to the demands of buyers and galleries.

In all these years, do you feel that you have made your best work yet?

After I finish my works, I don’t look at them. It is only at exhibitions that I see them again, but that too from a distance — as an outsider. There is nothing I consider my best work, each work is an individual journey. I don’t repeat myself.

 

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Where would you place the Indian art scene on the global scenario, and why?

The Indian art scene, in general, has become international; it has no identity anymore. I am not referring to the Indian-ness. Many artists are learning from the internet, from the international art scene, and they are not concerned about where they spring from. At the same time, however, there are some artists who are totally dedicated to their work but are devoid of time and place.

Can we hope to see a show by you in 2023?

I just had a show where I exhibited different kinds of work at the Bihar Museum in Patna.

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