Passion makes one move mountains, indeed! Jyotirmoy Ray’s engineering drawing gradually turned him into a full-fledged artist. A metallurgist by profession, Ray has been practicing various art forms since 1t958 and is all set to exhibit his Chigiri-e artworks titled “Flight to Freedom” for the first time in India at the India International Centre in Delhi from July 17-23.Chigiri-e is a Japanese art form where torn pieces of paper are used to create a work of art in collage style. The syllables of this Japanese word include ‘chi’- paper, ‘kiri’ - cut and ‘E’ (eh) – painting. It has been said that this art form is as old as the paper itself. From its inception, it was created by tearing 'washi' (pre-dyed handmade paper sourced from mulberry tree-trunk pulp) paper and then pasting it in a layered fashion on a board, but Ray created paintings in his own unique style; he used glossy papers sourced from origami papers, newspapers, fliers, etc and sheared paper instead of tearing it.Interestingly, no paint or brush is used in these artworks and the layering gives a natural three-dimensional effect without any use of technology. Also, from a distance, it looks more like a water-color or oil painting. Over the years, the practicing artists have improvised their techniques and use more unconventional styles. However, the art form dates back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE). Though these artworks depend entirely on the artist’s imagination, most are inspired by nature.Ray’s art flourished after he started taking evening classes at the Pittsburgh University in the year 1958 in the Department of Fine Arts. His marriage to artist Sita helped him discover his full potential. He became aware of the Chigiri-e art form during his final posting in Japan where he made many friends who were fond of his wife’s artworks. He made his first Chigiri-e artwork in late 2007 and eventually held two exhibitions at the Leaf Gallery in Kobe; one in 2011 and another in 2014.An avid bird-watcher and a yoga exponent, much of Ray’s inspiration comes from nature, especially birds. One can gauge that from his artworks. “Chigiri-e is an artist's impression of hope that takes the flight to freedom not by rejecting the shattered ugliness but seeking delight in creating through synthesis,” he says.“Flight To Freedom” will be on display at India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi, from July 17 through 23.
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