Artist Paresh Maity paints luminous worlds

The ghats of Varanasi came alive at Delhi’s Bikaner House last month as artist Paresh Maity showcased some of his monumental canvases in his solo, Luminous Terrains, presented by Art Alive gallery. Series such as Mahakumbh beckoned to you with their scale, but a closer look revealed multiple narratives unfurling in different parts of the canvas. Maity created a living landscape of people, telling the stories of ardent devotees, boatsmen and bystanders through his brushstrokes. The Delhi-based artist evoked the ethereal quality of the river in works such as Sacred Confluence through a play of light and colour.

Also on view was The Light of Varanasi, a work done in 2024, which was a little different from his usual landscapes. Maity created dream-like imagery with fantastical worlds superimposed on the ghats of the Ganga. Nebulous cloud-like shapes floated near the temple shikharas, chequered surfaces were spread across the stairs leading to the river, and hot air balloons landed smoothly on the boats. Some of the works on show at Bikaner House have now moved to Art Alive, which is hosting landmark exhibitions such as Maity’s to mark its 25th anniversary.

Luminous Terrains features oils, acrylics and drawings that revisit terrains across India, Venice and France. It becomes apparent that the landscapes don’t just allude to physical spaces but the emotionscape of the artist, the play of light and shadow reflecting the painter’s inner world. The exhibition is centred around seven distinct terrains—Varanasi, Dal Lake in Kashmir, the French Riviera, Venice, Rajasthan, Maihar in Madhya Pradesh and the length and breadth of the Mahakumbh—that have resonated with the artist over five decades of his practice.

Each landscape embodies his experiences, emotions and evolving sensibilities. “Light, in particular, has been a central element in my work. For me, light is life. I have always been fascinated by how light transforms a place—how it reveals, conceals and shapes perception,” says Maity. “Light becomes a medium through which I express not only the external environment but also an inner luminosity and understanding of a place.”

Nature has long been a muse, a mentor and an inspiration for him. Born in Tamluk, West Bengal, he grew up with the river, open skies, lush fields and canals. These environments shaped his sensibilities and taught him how to observe deeply. Over time, he came to realise that nature held answers to many questions— both material and spiritual. “As Aristotle once said, all art is but an imitation of nature, and I have found this to be remarkably true in my own life,” says Maity. “This is why I have always felt compelled to engage with nature directly, whether through painting, photography, sculpture or installation. In today’s world, where people are increasingly distanced from the natural environment, I feel an even stronger need to return to it.”

REPEATED ENCOUNTERS

He calls his work, in part, an invitation to reconnect with the transformative power of ecology. It is for this reason that he visits Varanasi, Kashmir and Venice time and time again. Maity strongly believes that a single visit to a landscape is not enough to truly understand it. One can forge a deeper connection only through repeated encounters. During these trips, the subtle shifts in the landscapes mirror the shifts in both the individual and the artist. These nuances are then imbibed in his interpretations of the place. Each time he returns to Varanasi, a city he has visited over a hundred times in the past four decades, it feels entirely new, he says. “This is because nothing remains static. Time changes, the environment evolves, and most importantly, I also undergo an evolution,” elaborates Maity. “When I first went to Venice in 1993, I was struck by its beauty. Yet, every subsequent visit has revealed new dimensions to the terrain—variations in light, colour, atmosphere and human presence.”

One of the highlights of Luminous Terrains is the collection of Maihar drawings. With deft pencil strokes, he recreates the rugged landscape, the winding paths leading to the Sharda Devi temple and the hamlets that lie in its shadow. From a very early age, Maity developed a habit of drawing regularly. Today, he carries a sketchbook with him, drawing while sitting in cafes or in transit. “Just as a building requires a structural framework, and the human body relies on its skeletal system, drawing provides the essential structure and identity to any form,” says the artist. When he revisits his earlier drawings, he can see the evolution of his practice— the increasing confidence, fluidity, and depth of understanding.

Drawing to him is like learning the alphabet. Once you have mastered it, you gain the freedom to express anything intuitively and without constraint. “For me, it remains an indispensable and lifelong discipline,” says Maity. “However, it is interesting to note that I do not rely on preliminary sketches, layouts or photographs when I paint. The forms, compositions and structures are already ingrained in my mind and emerge spontaneously on the canvas.”

At Art Alive, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, till 15 May.