Born for Art
Niren Sen Gupta Interview
Upasana Bhattacharya

It is not every day that one gets to meet a man as illustrious as humble. It is indeed remarkable how an artist who has painted masterpieces over many decades, one of which has recently been chosen to be displayed in an international museum, remains so untouched by ego. A man, who has affectionately reared and prepared a generation of young, upcoming artists in his thirty years of pedagogy at the Delhi College of Art, also looks after the little birds and squirrels in his studio verandah with equal fondness. “Look at that one,” he chuckles as a squirrel surreptitiously steals glances while nibbling through his food. “How they are scared of me! Who laid out that food for you?”

It is a peaceful place, his gallery in Delhi’s Motia Khan, and seems perfect for the kind of work he does. Last week I had the opportunity to meet him, an artist who at 79 is still filled with bubbling enthusiasm when he holds the brush. And then he made coffee for me, double bonanza. What followed next was a leisurely, enriching exchange in Bengali, which I later transcribed and translated. Here is my conversation with the veteran artist Niren Sen Gupta.

Interview:

Upasana Bhattacharya:
Sir, you started as a student of Science from the Calcutta University, and then graduated in Fine Art from the Govt. College of Art & Crafts, Calcutta. Usually a big dichotomy is drawn between the two disciplines, one so specific the other so malleable. What inspired you to jump the gap?

Niren Sen Gupta: We’ll have to go back a little to understand this. I am talking about the early forties. We lived in the eastern side of undivided Bengal, roughly until my fifth standard. My father was a businessman. We were a big family of six brothers and four sisters, so you can imagine. There was always much fun and jollity within the house itself. Then in 1961 we migrated to Calcutta (now Kolkata). Almost all my brothers and cousins had a good hand in drawing and started their formal education in art. My father, despite being a businessman encouraged it, and never pushed us to pursue anything else. I could also draw well and was always popular among my teachers and Head Master in school. My elder brothers however often insisted I study Science and become a doctor, because I was good at studies. But I had no inclination at all, for science or to be a doctor. Thus I was becoming increasingly confused about my future. At that point I had no financial resource since I was not earning, and my father was also not living with us in Calcutta. My brothers were supporting me financially. But I could hear a sublime voice within me which echoed constantly and instilled a deep connect with art that I am here to become an artist, ever since I kept chasing my dream. As a result, I did finish my graduation in Science, but then got myself enrolled in the Art College. In those days, getting into Art college was difficult, but I did all that I could, and eventually made it. My eldest brother was very fond of me, so he did persist for some time more that I continue with my studies in Science. He was rightly concerned, because in those days artists hardly made much money. But I assured them, that since I was doing this by my choice, and you had already struggled so much for your own educations and then mine, I’d pay my way through Art College. And that is when my science graduation came in handy. Because of that background, I got two tuitions. I am talking about 1961, so those two tuitions fetched me a total of Rs. 140. It was big money back then! Now I could comfortably sustain, be it transport, art materials or other overheads. Since I had got into Art out of my own passion, I used to draw a lot. A lot. Perhaps that is why I used to get scholarships also, therefore I never had to pay any tuition fees in all those five years. Additionally, in the summer vacations I used to at times win prize money, about Rs.60-70 or so. With all this included, I could manage quite well in college. And then even my brothers stopped objecting to my pursuits. I realize in the retrospect, that if you have a strong determination, then even God removes the obstructions in your way. You will reach your goal. It’s just a matter of your inner conviction.


UB: That is incredible. What was that moment when you felt, yes this is it, it is art or nothing else?
NSG: Maybe not one moment like that, but a whole phase. Actually, every time there is some obstacle, the determination to do a particular thing increases. Like my brothers did not want me to pursue art, and yet I always deeply wanted to be an artist. Science was something that had happened to me, and I had given it a certain sincerity. I studied enough so I could pass. Because honestly, I did not want to delay my stay in Science and if I failed here it would only take longer for me to join the Art College (laughs). My added advantage in Calcutta University was that I could draw well. I was also part of the college editorial group. The teachers would call out for me saying “Hey artist, come here.” That is the kind of appreciation and encouragement I always got there.

UB: What a blessing.
NSG: Absolutely. And another thing was the kind of guidance I got from my seniors in Art College. You see, over there it used to be an unsaid thing, that the professors never taught us the technique of water colours. They never needed to. Water colours were taught by the seniors to juniors. It was such a sweetly strange thing. If they would spot one of us juniors roaming free, they’d call out “Hey what are you doing there wasting time, come do water colours! I’ll show you how.” They were literally like our elder brothers. That is why in our college, even if a senior was only a year older, we would address him as “dada”. Because they genuinely wanted the best for us. I feel in the Calcutta Art College, the senior students sometimes meant a lot more than even our teachers. I say this because as students we were always a bit afraid of our teachers; we used to keep a distance. There was a certain formality involved. With seniors, that reservation wasn’t there, so it was a lot more comfortable.