Joker occupies the central position in Prabal Roy’s canvases. In the Kolkata-based artist’s exhibition, “Out of Frame”, his canvases showcase various aspects of a clown by reinventing and reviving the figure of a joker which according to the artist is there in every individual. “Each and everyone, more or less is in a way or other, has a belonging with the clown,” explains Roy. The exhibition was inaugurated by First Lady, Suvra Mukherjee.
The ambiguity of Roy’s paintings might puzzle the viewer at first, but a closer and a keener look will helpnotice its minute details and comprehend the underlying depth.
“In few of my paintings, the basic idea is to depict the clowns in a way that it seems as if they are overcoming the life’s hurdles and getting ahead,” says the artist.
The canvases, in a way, reflect Roy’s personal experiences. “There was a time when people made fun of me, ridiculed me and those incidents inspired me to clown that out on canvas. For a clown, he makes people laugh by ridiculing himself and still smiles, similarly I believed that come what may, I will smile and paint something which matches my character.”
The irony gets further deepened with the artist using such a bright palette to comment on dark subjects like gang-rapes, terrorism, illiteracy, and a complex urban life.
(The exhibition is on at Lalit Kala Akademi, Mandi House till January 19)
