The force be with you

He picked up a brush when four. By the time he was seven, he had his first solo show. But unlike some child artists8212;who make it big riding on the novelty of being so young but vanish with time8212;Ajay Choudhury has sustained his passion.

Ajay Choudhury8217;s abstract paintings create a storm in a tea cup

He picked up a brush when four. By the time he was seven, he had his first solo show. But unlike some child artists8212;who make it big riding on the novelty of being so young but vanish with time8212;Ajay Choudhury has sustained his passion. 8220;My exposure to painting happened because of my relatives, who taught at Patna Art Collage. However, I have been painting seriously only for the last 10 years,8221; says the 33-year-old, who has a day job as a police officer.

His current solo is a deft mix of maturity and child-like spontaneity. Showcased at Anupa Mehta8217;s Loft, a residency gallery space in Lower Parel, the exhibition consists of drawings of charcoal on paper and acrylics on canvas. 8220;Currently, I am working on 4X4 feet canvases but I see myself moving to larger canvases where I can unleash to my energy and brush strokes,8221; says the artist who ranges between abstract expressionism and minimalism.

Born in Palaman, Bihar, the artist now lives and works in Ahmedabad and is dedicating much of his time to art. 8220;People can be dismissive about my art when they learn I have another job,

especially when they know it8217;s with the police force. However, I see them as two completely exclusive parts of my life. Besides, I have had really positive responses from an artist as prominent as M F Husain,8221; says Choudhury. His energetic line and confidence had impressed the veteran painter, currently in exile in London. After an appraisal like that, Choudhury does not allow petty criticism to affect his love for art.

The Mumbai show, which opened

on Tuesday despite the political protests, is a suite dedicated to black and white. It celebrates minimalist

purity. 8220;What I am trying to communicate in this show is that though the paintings look really playful almost childlike in their freedom, a lot of thought have gone into their composition,8221; says the artist. He spends at least half an hour thinking before giving colour to his thoughts on canvas.

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8220;Sometimes I can take up to six months to complete a painting, sometimes it gets over in a week,8221; says Chourdhury, who has created two works at Loft. 8220;It8217;s a dialogue between the canvas and me. When I go away for some time and the painting will tell me if I need to work on it more,8221; says the artist on the mystery of creating the mesh of crisscrossing lines that play out their energetic dance on the white

surface of the canvas. 8220;Creativity is an accident and when it happens I am thrilled.8221; So are we.