ABSTRACT to ABSTRACTION – ‘ion’ of an artistic journey

Born and brought up in Varanasi's countryside, Santosh Verma's childhood was spent amidst pristine nature and rustic backyards of an ancient city rich in religious myths and beliefs. As a child the mystery of light and shade fascinated his inquisitive mind. The way light plays on the elements of nature and the way shades create changing dimensions always had him awestruck. His long journey in the field of art has been inspirations from such chiaroscuro in nature and reflections on his continuously evolving consciousness translating into abstract paintings often changing in style.

Gradually his subconscious delved into the simplicity of village culture where most religious figures and myths from rich folklore and tales that he lived within his childhood. The stories and beliefs of this rustic world often expressed through visual communication translated into simple line based abstract forms. These graphic childhood impressions amalgamated with his world of light, shade and colour and his journey took a new direction. He walks on from painting abstract to abstracting from the rich holistic experiences of his childhood, consciously and unconsciously. Currently his paintings reflect the colourful and playful world of an exploring child which in totality metamorphoses into a new reality.

                                                                                                               Deb Sanjay Datta