Greeted as one of the notable artistic figures just before and after the British rule in India, Jamini Roy was one of the unique Indian artists of his time. The usage of vivid colours and confident brushstrokes is the element of truth that has made his artworks gain the attention of art lovers from across the world. Most of his paintings are characterised by two-dimensional human figures that offer a presentation of mythological characters that have been inspired by Bengali traditional folk culture and the Kalighat style of paintings.

Growth Story

Bengal is the state where Jamini Roy grew up and was born in a town that is popular for its clay idols and folk culture. The place of Bankura carries a rich cultural heritage in folk paintings, wooden works, and terracotta works. Roy was exposed to all these art forms while growing up, and it acted as a muse in giving birth to the artist in him. It was at the very early age of 16 that he took admission in Calcutta’s Government School of Art, and had unlimited access to the famous artworks of all the European artists. The modernistic approach in Western artwork, especially the one followed by Vincent Van Gogh, moved him a lot, and he wanted to portray something similar through his art as well. It was during the year of 1908 that he received his diploma in fine arts and started creating portraits that were academic in style. Until the early 1920s, he continued to do this.

An oriental style emerged largely in his artworks, which was the result of his working at the Indian Society of Oriental Art for close to ten years. He indulged in the artworks by artist Sunayna Devi and started gaining knowledge regarding the Bengali folk traditions. Roy was also motivated by the Kalighat style of paintings and had already turned himself away from the European styles of art because he deeply felt that there were limitations and constraints in it. Very quickly, he started drifting away from both oriental and European art cultures as he wanted to create his own form of art that conveyed his understanding of Indian culture.

Early Works

Regional myths of the Bengali culture, along with folklore, are mostly depicted in Jamini Roy paintings. A place named Vishnupur in West Bengal is traditionally famous for clay works and idols, and the artistry of those inspired Roy very much. He was also moved by the other iconic artworks related to Bengali culture. It was only because Roy wanted to create a unique style of his own that he drifted away from the traditional paintings and cultures. But, no matter how far he went, he would always come back to his hometown and its culture to take inspiration. One of the striking examples in this regard can be his usage of earth colours instead of the popularly used oil paint. The colours he used were made out of natural components like seeds, rocks, and others.

Wisdom Gained

After the end of the English rule in India, the paintings of Roy were widely accepted and created a separate place for themselves. There are many socio-political issues in postcolonial India that were greatly depicted in his paintings. Today, a famous art gallery in Delhi or in any other city of India would always keep a collection of those for the art lovers to see.

To Conclude

It is true that Roy has created many timeless paintings during his time and has inspired many artists who came to be recognised later. An artist like Roy can live through the ages with all that he has created, and it can be expected that more such artists will emerge from India like him in the future.