Deepak Rajbhar was born in Kolkata, West Bengal in 1980. He undertook his Graduation 2004 and Post-Graduation 2006 from Kala - Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan and has since regular shows to his credit. Deepak’s works are stark in appearance, and they have a strong visual impact on the viewers by virtue of his unique treatment of colour. The use of colour is particularly remarkable, since he works on a monochromatic surface, where a field of colour is spread loosely but powerfully over the background. He takes special care to leave no trace of brushstrokes, giving a graphic look which leads us to believe that gestural intervention is minimal in his process.
In that sense, his works have less to do with expressive evocations and are more concerned towards the overall effect of the colour field. The pigmentation, in all cases is free of gloss, and the matt effect he brings about gives an impression of a strong bind to the forms. The formal arrangement is closer to abstract diagrams in its appearance, but this diagram, too, is free of associations. It rather brings an impression of suspension in his works which, together with the graphic tension of colours, produce powerful imagery.
The elements earth, water, wind and fire appear to be random in the way they function. They seem to have a life of their own, but for those who are interested in the deeper dimension of things, there are principles that determine the behaviour of elements. Mankind, having been bestowed with greatest authority among and over all created things defines the course of the elements by his/her thoughts and actions, even unconsciously. If we look back in history, the first man Adam when he disobeyed the command of God, he caused the earth to stop yielding fruit effortlessly; now man had to work the ground and toil in order to have food. Deepak Rajbhar in his series “Tamed Elements” visually brings out this phenomenon of cause and effect in the movement of the elements. Be it tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, storms, they are all reactions to the violence of man in thought and deed. This may sound farfetched, but a careful study of the history of natural disasters and the events that preceded them will definitely be a shocking discovery to many. The elements can be tamed, the elements ought to be tamed! If man moves keeping the unchanging principles in mind, the elements in his immediate environment will favour and support those movements. Every stroke in the paintings of Deepak is a metaphor of the actual move of elements and the pictures are abstract representations of the resultant environments. Deepak brings to light a dynamic that is so present yet so hidden, so powerful yet so quiet. Deepak’s work brings about an awareness of what normally escapes observation and consideration. His work compels the viewer to ponder and decipher the abstract element of the elements.
Deepak Rajbhar - Fragments (2012), 91 x 122 cm, Oil on Canvas 🔴
Deepak Rajbhar - Impulsive_2012_91 x 122 cm, Oil on Canvas 🔴
Deepak Rajbhar - Influence_2012_152 x 168 cm, Oil on Canvas 🔴
Deepak Rajbhar - Ferment_2012_61 x 122 cm; Oil on Canvas 🔴