Sajal Patra has experienced the nature intimately and successfully moulded the political and societal subjects with their own shifting character.

The trend of contemporary art is changing and several makeover trials are in place where artist reframe his ideas in the format of rediscovering the self. Artistic transformations happen naturally but it might just be enforced in order to achieve certain purpose, while in the later the risk is considerably high. Turning the course of imagery in order to produce effectively throws new challenges before the artist. Often in contemporary, what we have seen is the fresh interpretation of the common subject; the one that we are associated with closely and familiar with the environment very dearly; comes in as a refreshing surprise to many.
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Beyond The Border an exhibition of Sajal Patra showing the work Spiritual Journey is one such painting, which depicts a ‘key’ on the left wall of the ghat that was left by the spiritual guru that symbolises the key of the world. The key here refers to the key of the mundane world that remained with the person till his spiritual journey begins. This conceptually reminds one, of the renaissance painting The Delivery of the Keys by Perugino in the Sistine chapel. The only notable difference was the absence of the human beings in Sajal Patra’s painting and similarity is the significance of the key. This narrative is a symbolic representation of Indian culture achieved through the vitality in a contemporaneous way. Keys seem to have fascinated Sajal in many ways and Mother Key is the other of its kind, symbolising mother to hold the solution to all the problems that surround the family and its affairs. Mother Key is a story that is told with simplicity and subtlety in an explicit manner through visual representation.

Sajal has experienced the nature intimately and successfully moulded the political and societal subjects with their own shifting character in time. Beyond Border is another example that cleverly finds a puppetry arrangement to the Indian border issue. It describes the cultural affinity that India has with its neighbour Pakistan and how politics overplays the issues. This demonstrate how human feelings turned slave through the containment of human values by the leaders (so called). The story is not fresh and it is believed to have been addressed by all medias, but the pathos Beyond Border contain, speaks of the suppressed truth somewhere touching the human life. Mother and Child is a unique combination of calf and trucked mother’s (dairy) milk. This interesting subject directly deals with the trading of milk that has somehow left the calf wondering for her mother. Somewhere down the line it seems while managing he man’s need, man has forgotten the nature of the animals that needs attention too.

Sajal’s journey from Ranchi through Bhubaneswar to Delhi has been equally interesting and it has impressed him with multi-faceted experience and exposure to the environmental conditions and the visual cultures too. His interaction with variety of people through this part of eastern India has intelligently placed in the visual version. Sajal Patra has matured with every trick of the trade and these works reflects his conceptual interpretations wonderfully well. Represented by Ashok Art Gallery , his works have been showcased at all Indian major art festivals and fairs, some of his works has been collected by international art collectors, as per his dedication towards creating Art works and on the value of his supreme artistic skill one can effortlessly say that he will be one the future perspective of contemporary Indian Art for sure. Sajal Patra works and lives in New Delhi, India.
Dr. Pradosh K. Mishra(art historian)
Associate Professor BHU



The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different , became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit New Delhi.