Debanjan Roy
India Shining 1
(Gandhi and the laptop)
Fiberglass with acrylic paint
27 x 46 x 30 in
2007
Born in 1975, Roy Debanjan was awarded a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata in 1998 and a Master of Visual Arts from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata in 2000. Since then, he received the "Nirman Award' in 2004 and the Lalit Kala Academy Scholarship from 2002 to 2003. He also received a Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture for 2002 to 2004 and Best Sculpture Award by West Bengal State Academy and Rabindra Bharati University. His works have been exhibited widely, such as 'New Wave in Bengal Art' curated by Pranabranjan Ray, 2005, 'Tale of Two Cities' Birla Academy in 2004, "Migration City, Home' Lalit Kala Academy, Kolkata in 2003 and Triennale, Japan 2001. His first solo show was held at Birla Academy, in 2002. He currently stays and works in Kolkata. Gandhi once said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed." Debanjan's Gandhi questions the decline of social cohesiveness, collective spiritiualism and human interaction amidst a rapid economic ascent and growing fondness for materialism.
Using icons from both world and India’s history, Debanjan Roy works to initiate discussion. His works are most notably concerned with the violence of India’s past and present, and the current lifestyle of the Indian people: especially in terms of cultural and technological development and material possessions.
The irony of depicting Gandhi with such blatant symbols of India’s current wealth and rising middle class is obvious: whilst his personal philosophy called for a rejection of material possessions, it is largely thanks to his influence that the nation can now have such a materialistic drive today.
Courtesy of celesteprize.com, odetoart.com