Observing and documenting the physical world has a pivotal role in my art practice. While traveling
through different lands, I try to capture the structural transformations of landscapes. Over a period
of time, my sketchbook has collected memories of a variety of landscapes. These memories
are not just a compilation of scenic beauty; they also try to document happenings.

Studying various elements from a particular site, like leaves, textures of stones, insects, pigments, etc., my sketchbook becomes the tool for doing a comparative study of landscapes. Part of this sketchbook carries my memories of visiting Dumka, an area in Jharkhand, where I experienced the vast barren landscapes of dry ochre soil, unknown shrubs, and the dry wind of the late winter.

In other parts of the book, I have gathered images of forests, various types of wildflowers, a series
of hills, and patterns seen on the walls of tribal houses around Purulia, West Bengal. These spaces
are slowly getting occupied by humans, and that changes the identity of the landscapes. Human
occupation is damaging their biodiversity. To capture this, sometimes I overlap drawings of
organic elements of land with the ground plans of man-made structures. Through
drawings and mappings, the sketchbook evokes a conversation to unravel
the ignored happenings around unnoticed landscapes.

About the Artist

Born in Jharkhand, India, Subhankar Chakraborty is a visual art practitioner, book artist, and illustrator. He received a Bachelor's in Fine Art (Painting) from Rabindra Bharati University in 2018 and a Master's
in Fine Art (Painting) from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. His work has been included in numerous exhibitions both live and online and has been recognized through awards.
He participated in the international Chitrashala 2022 Art Residency.