The Storyteller: Brushstrokes of the working class

Artist Sanjib Das Apu has a knack for storytelling. He collects the threads of reality around him, particularly stories that go unheard amidst the sounds of our buzzing city of Dhaka. He arranges these threads neatly on canvases, recreating their narrative, to share these stories for the world to hear. 
 
Each of his works tells philosophical tales, focusing on the working and middle class, through motifs such as rickshaws, horses, and humans. 
 
However, what will make you stop in your tracks is the liminal feeling they instill in viewers—it will make you feel like you are standing on the threshold between reality and an abstract feeling.
 
These painted stories are on display at Gallery Chitrak's art exhibition, 'The Storyteller'. The exhibition displays pieces of the artist's works from 2020 to 2024, focusing on human stories through semi-realism merged with an abstract style. The exhibition opened its doors on 15 February and will come to a close tomorrow.
 
In a conversation with the artist, he touched on his artistic evolution, especially his style shift in 2020, highlighting how global events can potentially shape an artist's work. Before 2020, Sanjib focused on abstraction, but the pandemic transformed his artistic perspective and approach.

"It's the underprivileged who suffered the most during the pandemic, struggling with unstable incomes. Wanting to highlight the daily challenges of the middle and working class, I chose to bring their stories to life through my artwork, to paint them on my canvas," said artist Sanjib.

Soon after the pandemic, the artist began creating a series titled 'Untold Stories of the City,' which delved into the stories of the working and middle classes, which the artist believed often went unheard.  
 
Paintings from this series are available to view at the exhibition, capturing images such as that of van drivers in the backdrop of the city life. 
 
Even though the artist is inspired by real human stories, he still has an odd aversion to realism. Despite this, his paintings remain rooted in reality, with images painted in great detail. 

However, his art enters the abstract through strokes of contrasting colours that transport the viewer outside of the painting or through a meld of colours that blurs the subject. In this way, he stays true to his roots. 
 
"It is difficult to convey the true essence of the messages I want to convey through my paintings with an exclusively realistic style," Sanjib said.
 
"I feel like telling the audience the entire message directly takes away from the experience. I want to give my viewers space to come up with their own interpretations as well."  
 
However, when conveying a sense of struggle and hardship, artists sometimes gravitate towards grayscale palettes and muted tones. Taking away the vibrancy from the art sets the tone for the piece. 

But Sanjib's canvases are quite the opposite. 
 
Each of his paintings bursts with colours while still successfully sending his intended sombre messages.
 
"I feel like vibrant colours succeed at conveying sombre moods as much as black and white paintings do. For example, blue—a colour I adore and a prominent colour in my paintings—is the colour of sadness," he said.
 
Rickshaws are a recurring subject in Sanjib's paintings, falling in line with his intentions of sharing stories of the working class. Rickshaws are not only a source of income for the working class, but they are also a necessity for the middle class. 
 
Though his paintings are inspired by class struggle, their essence manages to resonate with anyone who comes across his works. 
 
TBS Picks
 
The Race
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
 

The painting depicts the image of a person riding a horse. Through the meld of colours, the horse's gaze is clear and defined, conveying a sense of wide-eyed urgency. The horse's tilted form suggests that it is running despite being unsteady on its feet. The painting is also a reflection on the rat-race capitalism has put mankind in, pushing them to move forward despite being worn out. 
 
Alone-2
Medium: Acrylic on canvas

 
A horse pulls a chariot forward to its destination, however, the people in the chariot are unidentifiable as they are lost in a blur of green, blue, and red.The mixture of colours symbolises the different hues of a person's dreams and aspirations that are pulled forward by motivation and sheer willpower.
 
Untold Story of a City
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
 

A van-puller moves forward, with what seems to be a person resting on the van. The image itself seems like an ordinary moment. However, a stream of light penetrates the image, meeting with the shadow of a man pushing the van forward. The painting conveys how though the working class are plagued with struggles, hope pushes them to move forward every day.