| Medium | : | Charcoal, Tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Height | : | 20 inch / 50.8 cm |
| Width | : | 16 inch / 40.6 cm |
| Surface | : | Acid Free Paper, Board, Paper, Rice Paper |
| Style | : | Figurative Paintings |
| Dimension | : | W: 40.6 cm × H: 50.8 cm |
| Year | : | 2024 |
A poetic glimpse into night-time domestic life by Subha Basu. Through layered interiors and gentle storytelling, the artwork captures the quiet, intimate moments that unfold just before sleep.
Subha Basu | Before Bedtime Stories | Tempera & Charcoal on Rice Paper & Acid Free Paper Board | 20 x 16 inches | 2024
In “Before Bedtime Stories”, Subha Basu invites you into a quiet, intimate world suspended between night and rest. Set against a deep indigo sky scattered with stars, the artwork feels almost like a dream gently unfolding — layer by layer, room by room.
At the center stands a compact, multi-storied home, its walls opened up as if to reveal the private rhythms of those inside. Each small compartment holds a moment: someone lying in bed, another preparing to sleep, a figure pausing at the sink, someone else sitting quietly, perhaps lost in thought. These are not grand events, but the kind of fleeting, tender moments that often go unnoticed — yet here, they become the soul of the painting.
Basu’s delicate use of tempera and charcoal creates a beautiful balance between structure and softness. The grid-like arrangement of rooms feels architectural, almost like a puzzle, while the gentle washes of color — pinks, yellows, blues — bring warmth and life to each space. Outside, the surrounding city fades into a muted blur, making the illuminated interiors feel even more personal and protected, like small islands of life within a vast, sleeping world.
There’s a quiet poetry in how the artist captures the idea of “before bedtime” — that in-between state where the day hasn’t fully let go, and the night hasn’t fully taken over. It’s a time of reflection, routine, and subtle connection. Through this work, Basu reminds us that even in close quarters, every individual carries their own inner world, their own story — softly unfolding behind closed doors.
Born – 1982 at Kolkata. B.V.A from The Indian College of Art & Draftsmanship in 2006, M.F.A from R.B.U in 2008. Participate more than 40 Group Show in Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore,Mumbai, New-york. Receive many award including AIFACS award, State academy award, Camel Art Foundation award etc. Participate many Art Camp including Jodhpur Art Camp (org. by Bodhi Tree Monastery of Art), AIFACS Camp at New Delhi, National Camp (org. by WZCC Govt. of India and Art & Culture Dept. Govt. of Goa) at Panji, Goa etc. Now I working as a freelance Artist staying at Kolkata.
ABOUT :
To him art is nothing but an application of realized truth. He think an Artist wants to frame his or her daily experience either consciously or subconsciously. In this way an Art object becomes a cultural document of time.
Generally he wants to frame my daily experiences in his work. Objective depication gives a subjective expression in his work. consciously or subconsciously the subject of his work have been collected from my surroundings. The figures of his painting are partly moulded in three dimensional form (through in most cases they are neither painted in their local colours nor is the execution method of this three dimensionality academic western style dependent), Using the ‘mode of relief ‘ style of painting. Every time he begin on painted flat surface. When he draw on that painted flat surface he used to play with them. His images go through many transformations till they got their final shape. For the sake of composition he have stretched his creative liberty to extent of arranging figures even up site down. Generally he used some bright colour on a mat surface. Which represents bright and darkness of our life.
He think my images are representative of an entire class of society where he belong.
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