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‘My intention is to show the other side of the normal’: Artist Sanjay Bhattacharyya

Using the cellphone for his recent exhibition of photographs in the Capital, Bhattacharyya notes how the device allows immediacy

3 min readNov 5, 2025 12:18 PM IST

Sanjay Bhattacharyya talks about his latest work

Known for his realistic paintings, artist Sanjay Bhattacharyya considers light the most important element in his composition — whether it is his expansive paintings or photographs taken from his cellphone. Trained at the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata, the moment is sacrosanct in his layered depictions.

Excerpts from an interview:

In your paintings and photographs the play of light is evident. What draws you to light as a subject and symbol?

Light is the most important element in every composition. From the very beginning, I was interested in different shapes of shadows of the objects and the contrast that comes with light at different timings.

The exhibition is divided into four visual categories: Distortions, Reflections, Shadows and Textures. If you could share the thought process behind arriving at these?

These four visual categories dominated the whole exhibition. They reflect my love for complicated textures, the distorted reflections of human beings or objects and the thousand different types of play of shadows. Most of my photos are different from what we usually see and my intention is to show the other side of the normal.

Much of your recent photographic work blurs the boundaries between reality and abstraction. What does abstraction mean to you?

Abstraction is a language spoken to explain the layers of the objects which are not visible through normal sight. In fact, I’ve done two series of paintings which are geometrical abstractions. I feel deep-rooted experiences can reflect visually in abstractions. It’s not as if people resort to abstraction because they can’t draw properly or can’t paint skilfully; in that case the weakness of the creator can’t escape.

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Glimpses from Sanjay Bhattacharyya’s exhibition

Your works incorporate fragments such as rusted metal and decaying surfaces. What draws you to these?

I have a tremendous weakness for old things — to me they all are storytellers and carry a lot of memories. Old objects mostly have very matured mixed colours and textures, which are difficult not to be attracted to.

Sanjay Bhattacharyya’s latest work

You shoot primarily on your cell phone. What appeals to you about this immediacy of the mobile camera compared to traditional equipment or painted canvas?

I started doing photography with SLR, but the kind of images I like to click now are not always possible through SLR. For instance, when I click a reflection it’s difficult to avoid the reflection of the camera if it’s SLR, but I can hide my mobile camera. Moreover, a camera allows one to click without wasting time to adjust lenses or aperture.

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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