19 home
- 2. I N T E R I O R S
PLATINUM
SinhaisdeeplydevotedtoGoddessDurgaandhislivingroomhasa
giant-sizedrepresentationofhermademainlyfromscrapmetal
ARTINLIFE
(LEFT)Aminiaturesculptureofantscrawlingintoa
foodstrainermadefromautomobilepartsandelectric
wiresthat’sdisplayedonSinha’sbedroomwall;
(RIGHT)Afishcentre-piecemadeofironwithadull
copperfinish;(BELOW) ADurgacollageputtogether
witholdnotebookpaperandcigarettefoil
ACREATIVEDEN
(FROMEXTREMERIGHT)
NarayanSinhastrikesa
posenexttopiecesfrom
hisMan,Machine&
Natureseries;Theartfully
decoratedpassageway
leadingtothebedroomhas
framedphotosofSinhaand
quirkyjewellerypiecesand
it’salsopackedwithsmall
sculpturesandlamps
W
ALKING
into sculptor
NarayanSinha’s
homeisan
almoststartling
experience.It’s
abitlikesteppingintoaminiartgallery—but
onethat’sfilledwitheye-catchingsculpture
piecesandlife-sizeinstallationsthatareallan
extensionofthe37-year-old’screativelyvibrant
personality.
Thegroundfloorgardenhouseinaleafy,
greencornerofHowrahinsuburbanCalcutta
isSinha’sworkshop-cum-residence.Whenthe
sculptorfirstmovedintothehouse,itwasin
arundownconditionsohespentafullyear
renovatingitfromscratchandturningitintohis
dreamartden.
Sinhadivideshistimebetweenhisfamily
homeinNalhati(arailwaytowninBirbhum
District)—whichhebuilt,withmanyarty
flourishes—andhisresidenceinHowrah.He
saysproudly:“MyNalhatirootswillalwaysbe
agreatsourceofcreativeinspirationasthat’s
wheremyartisticpassionswereborn,whereas
theHowrahhouseistheperfectpadtomeet
people,chatandshowcasemywork.”
Aself-taughtinstallationartist,forSinha,
creativityhasalwayscomenaturally.Hestarted
paintingatanearlyagebuthisbrushwithmet-
al,themainmediumheworkswithnowadays,
happenedquiteaccidentallywhenhewasfaced
withthechallengeofalmostovernightfillingup
alargegalleryspaceforasoloexhibition.Hein-
novativelydecidedtoriskusingjunkautomobile
partstocreateobjectsthatwouldstandout.
Theexhibitionreceivedhighpraiseand
markedthebeginningofhisextensivework
withmetalandfoundobjects(objectslikenuts
andscrewsthatarenotintendedtohavean
artyfunctionbutcanbemodifiedbyanartist).
“IneverthoughtIwoulddiscoverhowtomake
sculpturesoutofscrapmetalpartsbutthis
eventmademechangetrackfrombeingan
artisttoasculptor.Ittookmealmost12years
todevelopacloserelationshipwithmetaland
masteritsinnerlanguage,”saysSinha.
Todayhisspectacularmixedmediacreations
usingbronzecasting,wood,stone,fabric,iron
andcopperhavewonhimarosterofimpressive
patronsincludingAmbujaNeotia,theAdani
Group,KaranPaul,AnamikaKhanna,Kiran
UttamGhoshandtheJalanGroup.Hehasalso
designedhigh-endspaceslikeSonarTori,the
finediningBengalirestaurantinGanga
KutirResort&Spaandtheswank
fashionboutiqueEkruinCalcutta.
TheartyflavourofSinha’s
homeisevidentevenatthe
entrancewhichismadefrom
sleeperwoodwithelements
likeaflockofpigeons,oillan-
ternsandagasburnerallput
togetherwithjunkmetalparts.The
entranceleadstoaspaciousinteriorwithalarge
livingroomandtwobedrooms. Totheright
oftheentranceisSinha’soversizedworkshop
whichhouseshismostrecentcreations.
Onsteppingintothelivingroomyou’re
confrontedbyalargerthanlifeDurgasculpture
mountedonalionwithanangryAsuraather
feetcraftedmainlyfromcopper,brassandcast
iron.Nexttoit,alargebrassurnpickedupfrom
aRajasthanfleamarketisfilledwithhammered
metallotusflowers.
Andthere’sheapsmore.Anantiquelamp
chandeliermadefromverandarailingsandold
pujautensilshangsfromtheceiling.This
throwslightontherusticwoodencentre
tablewithatransparentglasstop
underwhicharedisplayed
oldblackandwhite
photographsofroyalty
fromaroundtheworld.
There’sayoungQueenElizabeth
II,assortedRajasthanimaharajas
andmembersoftheCoochBeharroyal
family—collectedbySinhaduringhistravels
around.“Iamobsessedwithallthingsantique
andvintage.Beingabigbelieverinpastlives,I
tendtosearchformyselfinapreviouslifetime
intheseoldphotographs,”confessesSinha.
Totherightofthesittingareaisanother
smallerDurgasculpturecarvedoutofwood
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SCULPTEDBEAUTIES
(ABOVE)Atriooftribalwomenwithlotus
flowersintheirhandwascraftedusingiron,
copperandbrass;(RIGHT)Astrikingsculpture
ofaneaglehangssuspendedfromthebedroom
ceilingwascreatedwithsewingmachineparts,
pipesandscissorsforwings
ARTYSPACES
(FROMABOVELEFT)Thebedroom’scosysittingareawithantique-stylefurniture,freshflowersandsculpturepiecesis
Sinha’sfavouritecornerinthehouse;AnoutdoorporchoverlookingthegardenisanarenaforSinha’soffbeatcreations
likeaninstallationoftribalwomenfigures,colourfultablelampsandachairmadefromcarenginepartsandwater
pumppipes;AnetchedbronzecastingbustofanIndianbridethatthesculptorreceivedasagift
andmetalflankedbyaDurgawallplateput
togetherwithfoundobjectslikebrassboltsand
brassutensils.Mostoftheseobjectswerepart
ofhisDebiProjectthatwaslaunchedin2011
whichshowcasedIndiangoddesseslikeDurga,
LakshmiandSaraswatiinvariousdramatic
sculpturalforms.
Thepredominantthemeofthelivingarea
istheGoddessDurga,whoSinhaisdeeplyde-
votedto.“Growingupwiththreesistersandmy
mother,womenformedaveryimportantpart
ofmylifeandDurgarepresentstheinherent
powerthatallwomenpossess.Ican’tstartmy
daybeforestandinginfrontofherandpraying.
Shealwaysspeakstome.It’stheDurgaform
thatconnectedmewithmakingsculptures,”
saysSinha.
Inonecornerofthepassagewaythatleads
toSinha’sbedroomareframedpiecesfroma
jewellerylinethathedidsometimeagoinclud-
inganantiquepocketwatchneckpiece,aniron
neckpiecedyedinredacrylicpaintandanother
madefrombicycleparts.“Myjewellerylineis
aminiatureversionofmylargerinstallations.
Themainideabehindcreatingjewellerywas
totakemyarttomorepeopleandevenmakeit
wearable,”saysSinha.
Onanotherwallhangsaframedcollec-
tionofphotographsofSinhamodellingover
theyears,whichhesayswasanexercisein
boostinghisself-confidenceandbreakingout
ofthesmalltownboyimage.Smallermetal
sculpturesofGaneshaandDurgaandseveral
floorlampsalsoadornthiscorridorspace,add-
ingtoitsartisticflavour.
Anarcheddoorwayformstheentrance
tothebedroomthathaswoodenflooring,a
colonial-stylebedwithbedpoststoonesideand
acosyseatingareaontheother.It’sonlyona
closerlookthatyourealisethatthebacksupport
ofthesofasisactuallyanAmbassadorcar’sfend-
erswhilethebaseoftheseathasbeencreated
outofanoldwoodendoor.
ThecentretablehereisoneofSinha’smost
specialpossessionsasitwasmadefromhis
grandmother’strunk,andremindshimofthe
relationshiptheyshared.Likethelivingroom
tablethisonetoohasoldphotographsfrom
Sinha’svintagecollection.
Rightnextofthesittingareaisaninstalla-
tionfromSinha’s‘Man,MachineandNature’
seriesthatdepictsabespectacledmanwitha
typewriterathischest,that’smeanttoshow
thefunctioningofamechanicalmindthat’sim-
posedbytheexpectationanddictatesofothers.
Thespectaclesaremadefromscissorsandthe
bodyfromacollectionofpipes,nutsandbolts.
“Thisisactuallymeasateenageboyburdened
bytheexpectationofothers.Myeyesareclosed
becauseIwasn’tabletofreelyfollowmyvision
andimagination,”explainsSinha.
Tastefullyarrangedfreshflowersonthe
centretableandfloorvaseslendasoftertouch
totheotherwisemetallicandwood-dominated
space.ThisisSinha’sfavouritecornerofthe
houseandhelikesspendinghoursherework-
ingandmeetingpeople.
WhatSinhacallshis‘narrativewall’
stretchesalongthesideofthebedanddisplays
aseriesofartisticframesthatprovideaglimpse
intothesculptor’smanyinspirations.Sinha
likedobservinghowredantswouldmakea
beelineforunwashedcookingutensilslikea
foodstrainerandacreationheremadefrom
copperandwiresrepresentsthat.Alsothere
aretribal-stylejewellerypiecesonthewall.The
moststrikingobjectintheroomhowever,is
asculptureofaneaglethathangssuspended
fromtheceilingandiscraftedoutofsewing
machineparts,silencerpipesandscissorsfor
wings.Plentyofnaturallightfiltersinthrough
thelargearchedwindowsdrapedwithcanvas
curtains,givingtheroomanopenairyfeel.
Thebedroomopensouttoalushgreen
gardenareathat’sanoutdoorarena
forSinha’smoreoffbeatcreations.
Intheoutdoorporchoverlooking
thegardenstandsawall-lengthiron
andbrassinstallationofagroupofeighttribal
womenposingtogether,depictingfriendship.
“GrowingupinruralWestBengalIwasalways
fascinatedbytribalwomen,theirbodyposture
issonaturalandfeminine,”saysSinha.
Aquirkycollectionoftablelampsmadefrom
elementslikeelectricmeterboxesandbrass
utensilsiscoveredwithbrightfabriclampshades
andarrangedbythetribalstatuesaddingtothe
characterofthespace,alongwithasandstone
bustofamanwithgeekyglassesandatophat.
Sprawledacrossthegrassystretchofthegarden
isamassivesculpturefromSinha’s‘DesireTo
Fly’exhibitwiththreefigures—thefirstisina
stoopedbroodingposture,thesecondispoised
toflyandthethirdisinfullflight—interpret-
ingaperson’sinnatedesiretoflyandbreakout
ofsocietalshacklestobeonewithhistrueself.
Sinha’sdistinctartistic
stampisvisibleinevery
partofhishome.Each
spaceispersonaltothe
sculptorandsayssomething
toyouabouthim.Hesays:
“ThehouserepresentswhoIam
andthat’swhatIwantpeopletotake
awayevenwhenIdon’tstayhere.” P
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