I went to Benaras ( Varanasi ) for higher study and stayed over there for almost 3years( 1992,93 & 94) .Staying in Benaras for a long period is a great achievement for a practicing artist as the city is fabricated with layers of history , different religious thoughts ,philosophy as well as architectural aesthetics .
During my stay in Varanasi , I observed one thing that the city was very busy and congested in one side and very calm ,slow ,idle and wide open on the other! Their daily life mingled with religious practices which all are related to myths and mythology, the temples and houses hugging each other, deities living in dwelling –no problem.
At first the external layers of the city, lanes by lanes, houses, temples, the river Ganga , ghats and its stairs, boats all attracted me and all reflected in my earlier works but mostly I was attracted to the architectures of Varanasi-the houses, temples – their weather beaten walls, how they have been standing for years hugging each other all were occupied in my subconscious and transformed through my works on canvas .
The red oxide colour mostly dominating the city as it is commonly smeared on temple walls or other religious edifices and this colour has come frequently in my colour palette time and again. My style of work completely changed and I realized that with time I got a huge break after finishing a body of works. .I came out from a conventional academic style of paintings which I learned during my art college days and started thinking of a philosophical aspect of my art .
Benaras is a historical city and one can smell that at every nook and corner . I used to roam around the city the whole day even at midnight which helped me be obsessed with the city and its history. Myths and mythology are mingled with the city and one has to be absorbed in it . One can find all these aesthetic alchemy in my works.
-Krishnendu Porel