Twin strokes

The young man, a kind of Adonis, is dressed in rich robes and wears a crown of leaves. He gently looks down at a bunch of flowers in his hand as if to contemplate and compare his own beauty with that of the flowers.

The artist duo from Kolkata is forging a path into a controversial territory

The young man, a kind of Adonis, is dressed in rich robes and wears a crown of leaves. He gently looks down at a bunch of flowers in his hand as if to contemplate and compare his own beauty with that of the flowers. The colours in the frame are bright, the young man too life like to have been inside the painting, his sexuality and beauty contrasted with the flowers. In case this work, titled Flower Vass, reminds you of the French gay duo Pierre and Gilles, don8217;t mention it to Suman Samajpati 32 and Sourav Roy Chowdhury 30, the Kolkata artists who go by the group name Taxi.

8220;We8217;re arguably the first duo to be doing photo-paintings in India and the essence of our work is completely different from Pierre8217;s and Gilles8217;. And we8217;re not gay,8221; says Roy Chowdhury emphatically. Samajpati and Roy Chowdhury are exhibiting their works as part of Outer Circle, the inaugural exhibition by the new arts collective, Religare Arts Initiative.

Photo-paintings or paintings on photography has captivated the boys for as long as they can remember. While Samajpati is a trained graphic artist from NIFT, Kolkata, Roy Chowdhury works as a commercial photographer with several advertising agencies. They began collaborating in 2005 and formed Taxi to break new ground in the Indian art scene. 8220;Taxi symbolises a journey for us, a destination to be reached, a score of people to meet and experiences on the way,8221; smiles Samajpati.

The experiences haven8217;t been great so far. 8220;The Kolkata art scene is very conservative and what we do is not considered art at all. To make things worse, our first collection is based on gender relations and exploring sexuality. Delhi, fortunately, is far more appreciative and informed about contemporary art and our work is being recognised here,8221; says Roy Chowdhury.

Each work begins with the duo bouncing ideas off each other, while Samajpati prepares a storyboard. Artifice is central to their work8212; human subjects are set in floral, elaborate poses against alluring backdrops.

The artists draw inspiration from a host of influences, from mythology and cinema to classic lithographic shots to family albums. 8220;Our work serves as a fanciful documentation for an array of subjects, each with its own stories. We are interested in looking at different lifestyles, cultures, gender relations and sexuality from our perspective,8221; says Samajpati. And they paint a pretty picture while at it.

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Outer Circle is on at 7, Atma Ram Mansion, Scindia House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg till October 31
Contact: 43727000