“I strongly believe in freedom of expression. My work is a reflection of my free spirit and mind,” says artist Kamal Kishore Swatantra whose ongoing painting exhibition, ‘Perception', is winning the hearts of the city's painting lovers. “In fact, ‘Swatantra' was a name given to me by my professor in college, Ravi Kohli, because I never conformed to what was taught to me in the classroom,” adds Swatantra.
Unique in their aesthetics and design, Swatantra's paintings are both alluring and thought-provoking. His painting series ‘Aakrosh' is a melange of vibrant, clashing colours, representative of the state of the human mind. “Through ‘Aakrosh', I have tried to show the common man's anguish towards the system. He wants to break out of it but he is just so helpless! All he can do is crib and complain,” explains Swatantra.
His works ‘Save Ground Water, Save Life', ‘The Emission Layer' and ‘Search for New Habitat' deal with the problem of environmental degradation, one of the most pressing challenges that humanity is facing today. Talking about ‘Search for New Habitat', Swatantra says, “We are all aware that the Earth is gradually become unfit as a habitat. But instead of making it a better place, we are travelling the Universe, in search of another place to stay.”
The environment is ours to save and by ignoring it we are putting our own life in danger, feels Swatantra. “Instead of trying to work out a solution together, we are engaging in mindless things like fanaticism and riots. We have divided everything from land to water to airspace. Humans have been separated from humans. Now only the sun remains. Why don't we divide that as well?” he says, talking about his painting ‘The Sun, Still Undivided, Let's Divide It.'
‘Perception' , Kamal Kishore Swatantra's Solo Painting Exhibition is being held at the Tea Lounge, Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi, till April 11.
