Six times state and district award winner (Awarded by the government of West Bengal) Chandan ji is skilled in Bengal Pattachitra, a cloth based scroll painting distinct to east India (Bengal and Odisha). Growing up, he remembers spending hours with his parents after school, learning how to master Pattachitra paintings, he was involved with the artform since he was 12 years old. Today, he has passed down his precious heritage to both of his children who continue to create a legacy. He also gives credit to his mother in law, Karuna Chitrakar for refining his style.
Pattachitra is known for its vibrant colours narrating stories from the Hindu mythology, particularly epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat. The scroll paintings were used to be ‘performed’ from village to village and now, one can own them in forms of paintings, clothing and decor items. When asked about his favourite theme to paint, Chandan ji says he loves to paint Radhe Krishna.
Apart from canvases and cloth, Chandan ji does his painting on house walls, clothes, utilitarian pieces like jugs and kettles and paints the theme of the pandals during Durga Puja annually.
With his wife Puthul ji, Chandan ji has successfully taken up Pattachitra as his bread and butter. He earns through exhibitions, melas, e-commerce websites and takes orders directly on phone though calls (and WhatsApp). Because of the pandemic, there has been a fall in his sales – melas and exhibitions aren’t happening and the consumer finds it difficult to indulge in the luxury of buying art.
Chandan ji has travelled to Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Chennai and Beijing (China) to present his art. The couple continues to send their paintings to different places in India and abroad but due to the pandemic, the income is negligible.