Most artists in India have humble beginnings and Paresh Maity on that count is no exception. He sold his first watercolor artwork for a paltry sum of INR 75 at Gallery Chemould based in Kolkata when he was only 18 years old. Paresh’s choice of watercolor is considered a notoriously difficult medium to control, especially to interpret the light and pure colors. His works are difficult to be classified under any particular tradition that defines any of the watercolor paintings. His early works were based on realism while now he dabbles more with moody expressionism and a general atmospheric style.
The range of paintings
Any famous Indian artist is usually categorized after a while into set parameters but not this artist. In the last 20 years, he has achieved proficiency in the medium that is difficult to recreate for anyone else. He paints on whichever surface to create his magic with colors that are vibrant and present the passion of the artist optimally. His stay in Rajasthan, he claims, made his artworks explode with colors. He is equally comfortable painting an odd tree, a scenario, or a face where the contextual setting is often neglected while the simplified figure speaks its own story.
The story of the legend
Paresh Maity was born in Tamluk in West Bengal in 1965 which is a small town with an antiquated heritage of terracotta art. He had a single-minded determination for formal training to further his dreams. School made him try out creating different clay images of the gods which he sold to further his education. He started painting river scenes in watercolor while at school and later progressed to oil paintings. He finally mastered oil painting during his education at the Government College of Art in Kolkata. Further formal training came at Delhi when he joined the Delhi College of Art.
Some artists become famous by sticking to what they know best, while others gain the title of being a famous Indian artist by exploration. Paresh’s experimental and adventurous personality allowed him to dabble in watercolors, oils, drawings, installations, mixed media, photography, sculptures, and filmmaking. He is extremely proficient in rediscovering the magic and charm of India through his paintings. Shantiniketan provided the spiritual awareness seen in his paintings, while Agra provided the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Ajanta and Ellora provided Buddhist frescos, Kerala offered pristine colors, Varanasi provided serenity, and Himachal Pradesh the Himalayan heights to his works.
Paresh Maity has worked on almost every destination in India and also in China, London, Japan, and Venice. He has over seventy solo exhibitions to his name held all across the globe including Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, Singapore, France, and India. He is also accredited with creating the longest painting in the world covering 800 feet of display space at the Indira Gandhi Airport, T3 Terminal, New Delhi, India. He has received and been conferred many awards globally with the Padma Shri presented to him in 2014 by the Government of India.