Born in 1958 in Kolkata, Sanjay Bhattacharya received his Diploma in Art from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata in 1982. After completing his graduation, he joined Clarion Add Agency as an illustrator. He later joined Hindustan Thomsan Associates where he had the freedom to freelance. It was while working here that he created a series of watercolours for his first exhibition, based on architecture and still life.
Sanjay Bhattcahrya’s works, both in oil paints and water colours are a unique embodiment of the soul of the city of Kolkata. Taking their subject matter from the middle class people of Kolkata and their conditions of living, his works offer a poignant portrait of the lived realities of urban existence in India.
His works can be seen in important public and private collections in India and overseas including the World Bank and the Parliament House in Delhi.
In 1988 and 1989 he had solo exhibitions at Gallery Aurobindo in New Delhi and Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Calcutta. In 1988 he had a solo exhibition at Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi. In 1992 he had a solo exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1994 Sanjay showcased ‘Rajiv Gandhi: Landscape of a Man’ at National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai and at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2002 he had a solo show ‘Painting Beyond Words’ at Arts India, New York.
In 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985 he won awards from National Exhibitions, Calcutta. In 1983 and 1988 he participated in All India Watercolour Exhibitions at AIFACS and won awards. In 1988 - 1989 Sanjay was recipient of an award at Sahitya Kala Parishad Annual Exhibition. In 1988 he won an award at Second International Asian-European Art Biennale in Ankara, Turkey.
He lives and works in Delhi.
Sanjay Bhattacharya is an eminent painter and photographer. Sanjay Bhattacharya’s paintings tell a story in themselves. They are undeniably realistic, almost photographic in their recording of detail, and therefore mesmeric in effect. He had been influenced by the works of Rembrandt and Dali and his initial paintings drew heavily on the style of Bikash Bhattacharya but in later days Sanjay tried works in the style of other great artists of Bengal like Ganesh Pyne. In the course of time Sanjay amalgamated various styles and developed on his own. His paintings focus on middle-class homes and areas of Calcutta with exquisite detail and light and shade. They hint at the drama, which revolves around people’s lives. Born (1958) in Calcutta, Bhattacharya graduated with a Diploma in Fine Arts from Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta (1982). After graduating, he joined an ad agency as an illustrator and shifted to Delhi. In the year 1988, Bhattacharya managed to complete 16 or 17 watercolors and some oils. He exhibited them in the Dhoomimal Gallery in Delhi. Bhattacharyya had his breakthrough exhibition of watercolors in New Delhi (1990), which was curated by Aman Nath. In 1994 the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation hosted an exhibition comprising of oils by Bhattacharya, as a homage to the assassinated leader. This sealed his reputation in portraiture, and he went on to paint the state portraits of the Presidents of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma and K.R. Narayanan, for the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He has participated in some national and international art events and workshops and enjoys collaborating with musicians and other artists. His works can be seen in important public and private collections in India and overseas including the World Bank and the Parliament House in Delhi. He lives and works in Delhi/Kolkata.
Artist Sanjay Bhattacharya masters a subject to create his different series of paintings. Despite that, he tells Saimi Sattar, he is merely the slave of his canvas
Merely by looking at the footpath, I can say whether it is Bhowanipur or Bowbazar in Kolkata. It is with this kind of intensity that I studied the city for five years for a series on it,” says artist Sanjay Bhattacharya. That one sentence encapsulates a lot of what the painter is about. Intense, obsessed with his subject, and intent on capturing all possible variations and nuances. Bhattacharya studied the city with absolute focus. “I have seen Kolkata like no one has. I have gone under the Howrah bridge, and stood above New Market to get a different perspective of the place. Not many residents can claim that they have seen the city the way I have,” he says with a guffaw.
