Deepjyoti Kalita promises a striking debut performance taking upon themes of relationships and individualism, technology and consumerism, opening today in Delhi

Today, is it possible for love to be unselfish and pure or is it condemned to be shrouded in a cloak of materialism, consumerism and individualism? “The ‘power of love’ has become overshadowed by the ‘love of power’; thus our relationships become battlegrounds….” is the what Baroda-based artist, Deepjyoti Kalita, is expressing among other things, in his debut solo. Using a range of materials and exploring the depths of life and relationships – or the lack of them – Kalita has some striking imagery and shows promise of consolidating his thoughts into a strong visual aesthetic.

Deepjyoti Kalita’s first ever solo show Amour Fou will be on display at Gallery Latitude 28, from 5 September to 5 October, 2014. Gallery Latitude: F 208 G/F Lado Sarai, New Delhi.

5 Questions with the artist:

1. Motivations “Apart from India’s rich cultural heritage that one comes across daily, what really motivated me to create works was the visual and cultural diversity I experienced due to my shift from Assam to Baroda and now to Delhi.”

2. Inspirations “I am a big movie buff, and in movies the light and sound, editing, direction and screenplay have always inspired me. The same theatricality, made-up reality and movement can be found in my works. My father has been actively involved in the theatre circuit of my native state of Assam. Directors like Jahnu Barua, Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Kim Ki-duk, Gaspar Noé and Takashi Murakami have inspired and molded my taste.”

3. Artists at home “I want the great reformer like Shankardeva, poets like Kabir and Ghalib and philosophers like Nietzsche and Derrida in my home. They all were great artists in their own way and their life were exceptional paintings.”

4. Concerns “In today’s day and time, when a capitalist-consumerist idiosyncrasy has deeply entrenched our culture, we have developed a tendency to objectify and fetishize human relations too. We have turned immune to human suffering and immoral deeds. That explains the highly volatile state of our country in terms of female safety and other crimes. Violence has become a part of our daily diet that we digest and forget. My works might not directly point towards these subjects but their presence will be felt in a subtle manner.”

5. If you weren’t an artist, you would be in… “any other profession where I can be innovative and skillful, like interior or fashion designing or architecture.”