Shipra Bhattacharya, born in 1954, is an Indian artist from Kolkata, known for her figurative paintings of women in domestic, urban and natural environments. Her work has been exhibited in India and internationally.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in science from Calcutta University, before studying art at the government college of art and craft in Kolkata. She continued her graduate education in art at the college of visual arts in Calcutta university, under the guidance of artist Subhaprasanna, later marrying him.
Her first ever solo show was in Kolkata (1981). She is best known for her ‘Desire’ series in which woman’s intrinsic wishes are expressed through sensuous and decorative symbolic images, using bold yet soft colours and smooth brushwork, in a confrontational, yet subtle manner. There is a mystery about each of her female protagonists.
Her works revolves around feminine figures drawing upon their inner consciousness in bold yet soft colours and smooth brush strokes. There is a mystery about each of these women as she moves from reality to fantasy creating a mesmerizing effect on the viewer. Her earlier works de-picted ordinary rural or urban woman from the world around her but recently the female body has become a subject tattooed with icons and images that appear sensual and desirous.
Shipra Bhattacharya has a studio called Bagan. Bagan, beyond being the literal translation for the word ‘garden’ in Bengali, also denotes how her studio is a place of worship for her, where she creates new works of art. “When I visited Myanmar, I went to a place with a lot of temples, called Bagan. Hence, I felt like giving my studio the same name. I have plans to do small annual art shows here,” says Shipra. When not painting or sculpting, the softspoken artist tends to her plants. We loved the way Shipra has placed earthen pots along the edge of a small water body filled with water lilies. In a hearty chat, Shipra talks about Bagan, her work, the art scene, and a lot more.
Her art has also been used in book covers, including on an edition of Bani Basu's Dark Afternoons and a volume of poetry by Jibananda Das.
