Inspired by Salvador Dali and René Magritte, Dushyant Patel comments on Indian society with his surrealist art

Vadodara-based artist Dushyant Patel’s collection of realist and surrealist canvases, currently on display in Chennai, are peppered with commentary on society and industrialisation

Against a sky with a varying gradient of blues, a grumpy little tusker is mid-flight. Tied to him is a basket teeming with lavender flowers; a few, carelessly part from him as he races through air. The canvas, characterised by impressive attention to detail, evokes joy, but at the same time leaves questions unanswered. But the mind behind the canvas intends the tusker as carrying the burden of our culture. Vadodara-based Dushyant Patel’s body of work is a journey that spans extremes: realism and surrealism. Today, it plays out on the walls of Apparao Galleries in Chennai, almost as though in narration of the artist’s evolving style and favored influences.   

The show opens with uncanny combinations: think realistic depictions of an open truck carrying animals; vehicles stacked atop an elephant, apart from realistic small formats of a typically Indian sight of an autorickshaw commuting children to school or an all-too-familiar hand-drawn rickshaw. There is little left to conjecture here. The detailing speaks for itself as stark commentary on culture, industrialisation and society too comes into play. 

The Illusion of Existence is a series that the artist, with a penchant for painting and printmaking, has been working on since 2022, through 2023.  Cultural anecdotes, tales and lived experiences contribute to his work. “I personally feel that incorporating everyday objects in my works keeps me connected to my society and my immediate present,” says the artist who, growing up, read texts from Indian mythology. He attributes his vivid imagination to this childhood preoccupation. “These ideas are then juxtaposed with personal stories and how they reflect upon contemporary society,” he adds. 

By using animal figures as gateways to metaphors, Dushyant comments on environmental issues. “We take our wildlife for granted and treat them as only a matter of commodity. Industrialisation has also impacted their habitats. Using animals in my works as a metaphor can be seen as carrying the burden of our culture.”

The narrative also takes us through the artist’s interaction with surrealism: Dali and René Magritte are influences that changed Dushyant’s artistic trajectory in the recent past. He continues, “My biggest influences are the works and lives of Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and David Hockney. Their work has always created a great impact on my practice. The surreal approach gives me freedom to dismantle the notion of the ideal way of depicting anything and hence helps me create a high impact of the subject matter and symbolisms.”

Vivid detailing, that is often a remainder of the artist’s skilled realistic approach, only enhances his surrealist canvas. Here, elephants are not melting, but a random eyeball does pop up in unexpected settings that make up the canvas. Crowded stacking makes for a contemporary segue. A little bit of Dali and Rene is unmissable. 

The Illusion of Existence is on display at Apparao Galleries, Nungambakkam till August 26.