Finding the soul within

Kolkata-based artist Bratin Khan has embraced Sri Aurobindo’s famous speech to be his inspiration. This memorable historical event that took place in the pre-independence era was epoch-making.  It was one of the most significant speeches in the revolutionary turned spiritual leader’s lifetime. The speech — his first after his release from the Alipore Jail in Kolkata — announced his exit from the ongoing revolutionary freedom movement.

Khan says, “Unlike Sri Aurobindo’s regular speeches, this one was non-political and announced his adoption of the sanatan dharma that propagated that every object had a soul within.”

Khan has also interpreted prayers from the ancient scriptures into his canvases. There are recurrent images of Lord Krishna and Buddha and floral symbols throughout his line.
He says, “In the puranas, flowers were used to symbolise the manifestation of the self, the souls journey from creation to divinity.”

Through the flowers the artist expresses his aspiration to the almighty. It was from the same subject domain that his works were chosen to adorn the walls of the Parliament House. Khan says a committee comprising Najma Heptullah and LK Advani selected his work and also made it the official logo to mark the commemorative services of the Parliament House attacks.

His show In A Silent Way is on view at the Point of View art gallery in Colaba.