The talented artist’s recent collection of acrylic on canvas was a step ahead in his contemplative journey.

 The repetition of contemporary events and history is a recurring theme in Nikhileswar Baruah’s creations, which add a universal appeal to them. Broadly speaking, his works try to focus on modern man’s apathy to the growing violence.

His works continue to reflect the trauma of every sensitive being, hit by the violence and strife around. Hailing from the violence-hit state of Assam, he himself has been a witness to the impact of this violence and strife. He has once mentioned: “I’ve lived through it in my younger days so I know the kind of effect it has on people.”

Highlighting this particular aspect of his work, the curatorial note stated: “His paintings have an international feel and address issues that are universal. His dedicated approach to his metier has seen him evolve steadily over the years and brought maturity in his works. This is best demonstrated in the ‘Departure’ series.”

Putting in perspective his new series hosted at Mumbai based Hacienda Gallery in April 2009, Jasmine Shah Varma mentioned: “His works are visually stimulating and thought-provoking. He has always maintained an independent visual identity among his contemporaries.” Depicting his art practice, the curator had earlier pointed out how artists are known to make contemplative journeys in their artistic process.

“Nikhileswar Baruah’s interpretation is clear, direct. There’s a sophisticated ease in the idiom developed over time, and the result is an immediate empathetic connection one makes with the imagery. His paintings bring about a sense of familiarity without resorting to reproduction of photographed images or hyper-real visual language. Human figures and portraits of imaginary individuals – presented as if staring from hoardings – have become integral to his work.”

He mostly works with watercolors on paper. The medium, according to the artist, is very flexible and allows him to experiment. To start with, his compositions were heavy with the bright, greens, pinks, yellows and crimsons. The apparent emphasis on representing/depicting location and the narrative bent was very much there. The color tones gradually changed. This period of transition was marked with contemplation on issues of mindless violence, vested political agendas disrupting development and petty human nature.

The gullible victims of political conspiracies were part of his idiom. For instance, immensely disturbed by the deteriorating relation between India and Pakistan and the ensuing prospect of a subcontinent threatened by a nuclear war, he worked on the theme. He was also devastated by the communal riots in Gujarat. It was during this period the urban man seen in his work seemed to have emerged as a solitary entity in the crowd.