Hills Beckon

8220;There are many young men who join art college but few really make it big in the world of art. Like many young men who join the college, I too enrolled, much against my parents8217; wishes, but later I got disillusioned with the politics,8221; says Das. While Das may have dreamt of being an artist, he had not reckoned for the politics that they have to face to make it big in that field. Although he gave up his childhood dream of being an artist, he nevertheless got a job that enabled him to pursue his passion 8212; albeit a little differently.

8220;Joining HMI gave me scope and exposure that perhaps I could not have got as an artist. Though I had quit painting, my job gave me an opportunity to pursue an entirely different side of the subject,8221; says Das. He even went on to acquire an AMA from London, which made him an expert on museums.

But it was only in the last few years that he decided to go back to art and started painting once again and this time it was the Himalayas that inspired him. Being based in Darjeeling, he says, he could not but be touched by the beauty of the hill station and slowly he started painting again, and now he is once again a full-fledged artist.

8220;The mountains in all its beauty 8212; the tea gardens, the quaint life of the people 8212; they all inspired me to pick up the brush again. His recent exhibition in the city was a testament of that passion. Most of his paintings revolved around the changing seasons in the mountains, flora and fauna and the life of the people.

But what makes him different is that through his works he is also trying hard to show the deteriorating conditions of the mountains.

8220;Many of my works centre on that as I can actually see how people8217;s apathy is ruining this natural beauty. When tourists come to Darjeeling on holidays, they leave behind a mess caring nothing for the natural environs. Even mountaineers leave behind a mess in the mountains. I hope my paintings are able to throw some light on these issues that need to be tackled,8221; says Das.

While recognition as an artist may have come late to him, Das says he does not regret it.

8220;I had the scope to study a lot of things that I would not have had I decided to stick to painting. I got the scope to study subjects like restoration of paintings and museology abroad, something that widened my scope as an artist. Museums abroad are very different from their Indian counterparts and one must go there to understand how,8221; says Das.

His late blooming as an artist also gave him the scope to discover himself as an artist. 8220;When I look back at my work, I see how much I have developed in spite of staying away from art for such a long time. I think my long sabbatical helped me to grow,8221; claims Das.

Today, he is being invited to galleries across the country to showcase his works and his talent is being acknowledged by different artists. Busy completing his latest series based on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, today he is an artist first and then a curator.