Born in Chapra, Bihar, Debasish Mukherjee graduated from Banaras Hindu University with a specialisation in painting. He is a published poet and avid photographer. In his latest solo show, River Song, at Gallery Akar Prakar in Delhi, he creates fabric sculptures inspired by his childhood.
Why did you choose textiles and fabric to express the theme?
My journey into the world of textiles began about two-and-a-half decades ago. While I was employed at a prestigious fashion house, I got the opportunity to work with the best weavers and textile exponents of our time. But while doing so, I felt like I wanted to challenge the orthodox format of textiles and project an unseen dimension.
Can you explain the context and the message behind your work on the beehive of thread spools and the one on the 22 hoop frames?
The one on the beehive is titled Portrait 2. It is dedicated to my father who worked in the Indian Railways and also practised homeopathy. Many times, we have played with the tiny vials in which he kept medicines. These used spools had a striking similarity with those glass containers.
The set of 22 circular works is an abstract mapping of the years I spent in Chapra. When I started making notes, various layered memories started surfacing. Also the circular frames might have some connection with my visits to my father’s workplace when I was ten or twelve. He would often be working inside the steam engine’s boiler chamber. When he emerged from its circular opening, thick layers of black carbon dust would have created intricate patterns on his face and on the indigo dungarees that he wore.
As a contemporary artist who combines art with personal memoirs, what were the things you were mindful of while putting together a public exhibition?
I do not think the genre has anything to do with the subject. When I am dealing with an issue close to my heart, I always try to be as transparent and pure as possible and remain honest towards the events which inspired me to create the body of work. I would not be selective or diplomatic in this case.