ABOUT INDRANIL BANERJEE
Indranil Banerjee is a Kolkata-based contemporary painter whose fractured figurative abstractions explore rebellion, collective trauma, urban anxiety and the instability of memory.
Artist’s Statement
For me, the canvas is not merely a surface. It is a presence, a confidant that absorbs my emotions and listens to the whispers of my imagination. Each brushstroke is a release, and each finished work condenses conscious and subconscious thought into a single idea. Once it is complete, the cycle of creation begins again.
I do not paint to tell stories. Painting is a path inward, closer to dhyan (meditation) than to narrative. With every stroke I move toward stillness and a deeper understanding of myself.
My work travels from form to formlessness. Colour is never incidental. I calibrate each combination to evoke a specific emotional state and to offer a pause from the ennui of daily life. Each abstract work holds a reality of its own, one that even a viewer with no art-historical training can sense.
Relativity is central to my practice: meaning is completed by the viewer. To explore this, I developed a method titled Depicting a Recognizable Abstract Form Through Familiar Geometrical Positioning and Relatability (Indian Patent Office, published application no: 202431045252/2024) and the second titled 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈-𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Indian Patent Office, application no: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒𝟑𝟏𝟎𝟗𝟖𝟔𝟏𝟎/2026). In it, familiar geometric placement of shapes lets an abstract image feel recognizable without becoming representational.
My first solo exhibition, at Max Mueller Bhavan, marked a turning point. Since then my work has become a continuing inquiry into self and space.
I invite viewers to bring their own experience to each painting, find their own meaning, and stay with the mystery.
This is a visceral transformation of El Greco’s masterwork, Laocoön.
My city is a whirlwind of crowded streets, constant noise, and dusty air. Yet, beneath the chaotic rhythm and gritty surface lies a unique, magnetic beauty that constantly inspires my art. This captures the vibrant, messy soul.
Signature Works of Indranil Banerjee
When a rocket’s raptor engine takes the form of an idol, it brings us closer to the deep roots of our mythological beliefs and the origins of idol creation. The raptor fuels the rocket’s journey, mirroring the life-giving force an idol can embody—a metamorphic essence that breathes spirit into human life. Like idols, these engines represent a powerful force beyond their physical form, leaving behind only a material shape that hints at something far greater, something transcendent.
This painting, Fried Flesh, emerges from the artist’s visceral response to witnessing a tragic accident—where burning flesh, once full of life and story, was reduced to a mere, indistinguishable form. At first glance, it might evoke a piece of cooked meat—something familiar, even mundane. But linger longer, and the contours start resembling something deeply human: scorched skin, twisted limbs, a silent scream petrified in motion.
The painting is a cry. A raw, aching lament for how fragile, how perishable, and how equalizing death is. Whether food, body, or ash, everything returns to a state of sameness. This work forces us to confront the uncomfortable question: when the soul departs, what remains? And what, if anything, do we truly value?
“Fried Flesh” is not just an image. It is memory, grief, and protest—cooked into color and form.
The cremation with a red chair
𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬. 𝐘𝐞𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧, 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩, 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝.
𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.
Raptor Man
I see a man, I see the dead,
Sometimes no man, but raptor instead.
Raptor1, raptor2, raptor3, they soar,
Alive, they jump, they play, they roar.
Like fishermen casting their hopes to the sea,
But when the moon cracks,
All will cease to be.
Two Sailors
Amid a fierce storm, two sailors race away from an abducted city. This artwork began as a sketch demonstration, capturing the initial form and gradually evolving into a full composition. From there, I developed the scene further, incorporating color sketching to bring the piece to life. It is created on A3 sketch paper.
An Ancient Civilization: Pharaoh from My Mythological Diary
Remnants of an ancient civilization – enigmatic world of pharaohs, from my personal mythological diary.
Tutankhamun Story
– from my archaeological gallery
The Nightmare at the Dump
The painting captures a chilling moment of survival, where a pack of wild dogs surrounds me in a desolate garbage dump. The dogs’ snarling faces and piercing eyes convey a sense of imminent danger, as if they’re ready to strike at any moment. The chaotic environment adds to the tension, with the dump serving as a grim backdrop to the unfolding nightmare.
The scene is not just about the dogs, but about the primal fear of being outnumbered and surrounded by danger in a place where safety is far away.
THE STORY OF A TREE AND A WOODPECKER
This painting is inspired by the concept of organic burial pods. In this process, a person is buried in a pod that eventually grows into a tree. As time passes, a woodpecker arrives and begins pecking at the tree. This raises intriguing questions: Does the person’s soul, now part of the tree, feel pain? Has the person’s soul become the soul of the tree?
Serene – peace and wonder – bygone era
This piece took some time over the weekend as I experimented with a different treatment of pigments, mainly on paper that had been left in a corner for many years. These treatments are risky and challenging on paper, but I managed to complete it in the end.
BUT IN SPACE THE SUN IS WHITE
This painting, titled “But in Space the Sun is White,” features a strange owl and a snake set against the backdrop of a white sun in space. The surreal scene invites to ponder the mysteries of the cosmos, where familiar creatures take on an otherworldly presence under the stark, white sunlight.
DIVINE SERENITY AND TRANSFORMATION
“Divine Serenity and Transformation” captures the ethereal moment when an object undergoes a profound change into a state of serene beauty. The painting illustrates the journey of transformation, highlighting the tranquility and grace achieved in its final form.
