Paresh Maity

Watercolors are my heart and soul, says Paresh Maity, who over the last 20 years has achieved mastery in a medium that few can boast of. Paresh Maity, on any surface he chooses, be it paper, canvas, or any other medium, creates magic. The colors are vibrant and reflect the passion of the artist.

The dunes of Rajasthan, the backwaters of Kerala, the canals of Venice, and even Lake Geneva, Paresh's paintings have captured it all. Paresh says that it was his stay in Rajasthan that made his works explode with color, and since then he has not looked back.

Paresh also briefly experimented with the abstract, which was more about releasing the constraints of a landscape. He would still see a strange ship or tree, although not in a representative way. Even when he returned to painting figures, the contextual setting was more often neglected. The focus was on the figure, specifically on the faces, with their innumerable expressions, highly cropped and juxtaposed with their surroundings. The colors are vibrant and dazzle the viewer. The stylized and simplified figures have a story of their own and transport you to an exotic land.

The virtuosity of the medium is not the message, but the spirit behind the man and his talent. It has taken Paresh Maity a long time to get to where he is, the execution of the work itself may take a short time, but getting there has taken me 20 years.

BORN

1965 Tamluk, West Bengal

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

1992 Master of Fine Arts, College of Art, New Delhi

1981 BFA, Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2013-14 Symphony of Silence, Jehangir Art Gallery and Art Musings, Mumbai

2013 Venetian Odyssey, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi

2012 Passion, presented by Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore at The Arts House, Singapore

2011 Shesh Lekha The Last Poems of Rabindranath Tagore, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, Mumbai, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2010 The World on Canvas, presented by Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi at Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

2009 Montage Moments Memories, Jehangir Art Gallery, Art Musings, Mumbai

2008-09 Sumukha Gallery, Bangalore, Visual Arts Gallery, Hong Kong

2008 An Enchanting Journey - Paresh Maitys Kerala, Art Alive, New Delhi

2007 Drawings, paintings, sculptures, and photographs by Paresh Maity, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2006 Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto

2006 Visual Arts Gallery, Hong Kong in collaboration with Gallery Sumukha

2005 Arts India, New York

2005 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in collaboration with Art Musings, Mumbai

2005 Gallery on Cork Street, London in association with ICICI Bank

2004 Organized by Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore and Easel, Singapore at Alliance Francaise, Singapore

2004 Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2003 Forms in Symphony, Gallerie Ganesha, New Delhi

2002 Arts India, New York

2002 Venetian Odyssey, British Council, New Delhi

2002 Tagore Center, Berlin

2001 Venetian Odyssey, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

2001 Philip Gallery, London

2000 Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2000 Aspekte Gallery, Germany

2000 Venetian Odyssey, Hotel Aryanbika, Debrecen, Hungary

2000 Mohanjeet Gallery, Paris

1999 Two decades of classic watercolors, Shridharani, Triveni Kala, Sangam, Gallerie Ganesha, and British Council, New Delhi

1998 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1998 Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

1998 Mohanjeet Gallery, Paris

1998 Sumukha Gallery, Bengaluru

1997 Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Calcutta

1996 Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi

1996 Hungarian Cultural and Information Centre, New Delhi

1996 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1996 Paracelsus Rotenfleskdinik Ausgestelt in association with Galerie Aspekie, Germany

1996 ARKS Gallery, London

1995 Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

1994 British Council, Calcutta

1994 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1994 The Gallery, Chennai

1994 Aspekte Gallery, Germany

1994 Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi

1993 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1993 All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi

1992 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1992 Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata

1992 Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

1992 Siddartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu

1992 Windsor Mansion, Bengaluru

1991 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1991 Katayun Gallery, Calcutta

1991 Sophia Duchesne Art Gallery, Bombay

1990 Ganesha Gallery, New Delhi

1990 Katayun Gallery, Calcutta

1989 Katayun Gallery, Calcutta

1988 Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012 Talking Heads, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi

2011 Progressive Starting States to the Present, Aicon Gallery, London

2011 Sumukha Gallery, Chennai

2011 Nvya Gallery, New Delhi

2010 Symbols and Metaphors, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2009 Mark of Masters -2, Art and Soul, Mumbai

2009 Think Small, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi

2009 Beyond Form, Bajaj Capital Art House, Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

Review of 2008, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2007 Young Guns, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai

2007 Living Art, London

2007 Art and Fashion Show, Sumukha Gallery

2007 Royal Watercolor Society, London

2007 Ueno, Royal Museum, Tokyo

2007 Darpan, Nvya Gallery, New Delhi

2007 Indian Summer, Art Alive, London

2007 Vistar, limited edition, New Delhi

2007 House of Lords, London in collaboration with Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai

2006 Kumar Gallery, New Delhi

2006 Style Archives Exhibition, Mumbai

2006 Two for Tango, Gallerie Nvya, New Delhi

2006 V&A, London

2006 Tate Great Britain, United Kingdom

2005 Joint exhibition with Gallery Nvya, New Delhi

2005 Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi

2005 Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi

2005 Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai

2005 Kumar Art Gallery, Mumbai

2005 Arushi Art, New Delhi

2005 Royal Watercolor Society, London

2005 Sanskrit Art Gallery, Kolkata

2005 Sumukha Gallery, Bengaluru

2004 Family Group Exhibition, Visual Arts, London

2003 Uttarayan, Egyptian group exhibition

2002 Rossy and Rossy Gallery, London in association with Gallery88, Kolkata

2002 International Watercolor Exhibition, Royal Watercolor Society, London

2001 Rossy and Rossy Gallery, London, in association with the Modi Foundation

2001 Erotica, Mohanjeet Gallery, Paris

2000 Participated in an Indian exhibition in Dubai

1997 Images of Kolkata, Exhibition along with Ragu Rai and Desmond Doig, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata

1996 Tribute to Mother Teresa, Mumbai

1996 Sakhi Mandal, Bengaluru

1996 Gallery 88, Calcutta

1996 Rotary Club, Calcutta

1996 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1996 Sights and Visions, Gallerie Ganesha, New Delhi

1996 Wounds, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Calcutta

1996 National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi

1996 Trends and Images, Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Calcutta

1996 World Miniature Exhibition, Toronto, Canada

1995 Tree in My Life, Village Gallery, New Delhi

1995 Urusvathi, New Delhi

1995 Hyatt Regency, New Delhi

1994 Katayun Gallery, Calcutta

1994 Gallery 88, Calcutta

1994 Indian Contemporary Art Exhibition, Tokyo

1994 People for Animals, Taj Hotel, New Delhi

1993 Malhar, Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi

1993 Katayun Gallery, Calcutta 

SELECTED JOINT EXHIBITIONS

2012 Eternal Landscapes, with Ram Kumar presented by ICIA at The Arts Trust, Mumbai

PARTICIPATIONS

2012 12th Anniversary Exhibition, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai

2011 Kumar Gallery, New Delhi

2010 Sports and the City, represented by Art Alive Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, coinciding with the Commonwealth Games

2010 Center for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2010 Evolve 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, Nehru Centre, Mumbai

Annual Exhibition 2010, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi

Annual Exhibition 2010, Kumar Art Gallery, New Delhi

2007, 06, 05 Harmony Show, Nehru Centre, Mumbai

2006 17th Anniversary Exhibition, Ganesha Gallery

Triennial 2005, India

2005 Lalit Kalas Golden Jubilee Celebration Show, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

1997 Aquarelle Internationale Thun, Switzerland

1996 Silver Anniversary Exhibition. Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

1995 Cleveland International Drawing Biennial, Cleveland

1991 Annual Exhibition, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata

1990 Annual Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta

1990 Annual Exhibition, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta

1989 Annual Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta

1989 Annual Exhibition, Indian Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi

HONORS AND AWARD

Bihar Government Award 2017

Eastern Eye Editors Special Award 2016 for his contribution to the field of art at the Royal Festival Hall, London

Padma Shri Award 2014 by the Government of India

Cartier Prize 2014, St. Moritz. Swiss art masters

Hall of Fame 2013 for Hello (Times of India Group) 

Sera Bengali Award 2013 in Kolkata awarded by ABP

Dayawati Modi Award 2012 for Art, Culture and Education

2005 Indo-American Society

2002 Royal Watercolor Society, London

1999 Harmony Award, Mumbai

1993 Visit of the British Council

1992 pt. Ravi Shankar Award from New Delhi College of Art

1990 All India Society of Fine Arts and Crafts Award for the 62nd All India Art Exhibition, New Delhi

1990 Outstanding Painting Award from Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta

1990 Indian Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) Award for Best Watercolor Painting, New Delhi

1989 Government of India National Scholarship Award

1988 part. Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Celebration Award

1988 Calcutta Academy of Fine Arts Governor's Gold Medal

1987 Jamini Roy Birth Centenary Celebration Award

1986 Indian Society of Oriental Art Award, Calcutta

1985 West Bengal Government Award for Best Watercolor Painting

1983 Indian Society of Oriental Art Prize, Calcutta

1983 Gold Medal of the U.S.S.R.