Rahul Mukherjee

A young boy seems to be the central figure in most of your compositions. How do you relate to this character and what does his presence signify?

Representing the self through the image of a young boy is always a process of looking back to my own childhood memories. But today’s happenings overshadow the innocence of the past. The central character has marks to show how important an individual’s...

A young boy seems to be the central figure in most of your compositions. How do you relate to this character and what does his presence signify?

Representing the self through the image of a young boy is always a process of looking back to my own childhood memories. But today’s happenings overshadow the innocence of the past. The central character has marks to show how important an individual’s perception is, in carrying a vision towards our society.

Multiple shadows and several layers make up your final compositions. Does your technique mimic your thought process in any way – are the layers on your canvas a reflection of the numerous thoughts that immerge in your mind?

There are endless thoughts which keep coming to my mind. Sometimes it shows a struggle through the layers on a surface and sometimes it is technically a spontaneous attempt to present the abstraction of multiple thought processes.

While commenting on your work you have compared the reflecting quality of the mirror to the darkness cast by a shadow. Please elaborate.

A shadow is something scientifically joined with us, but for me it’s more of a psychological mirror of an individual. It could be a historical or could be a contemporary projection of the society.

You effortlessly combine object, man and animal, to create new hybrid beings in your works. What does this hybridity signify?

The combination of object, man and animal means juxtaposing a social element with the central figure – it sounds a little surreal, but it is more a kind of satire to present oneself. It’s all about the existence of hybridity in human society with no clue of conclusion.

You work with acrylic as well as watercolours. Although the shadows remain a constant, there seems to be a significant change in style between the mediums. Does your content determine which medium you use, or is it something you chose intuitively?

Each medium has its own nature, but the artist has the ability to bend down the medium according to his own need. My intention is to maintain each medium in its own different quality. The technical application changes but the content and context both remain the same across both mediums. It is just like the language of a region, in which there are differences between its town version and the version spoken in the interior villages.