Samit Das
Samit Das was born in 1970 in Jamshedpur,[ India] specializes in Painting, Photography, Interactive art works and artist’s book creating multi-sensory environments through art and architectural installations. Studied fine arts from Santiniketan Kala Bhavan [ MFA and BFA Both 1989-1996] and post Experience program from Camberwell College of arts London through British Council Scholarship [ CWIT]2001-2002
Teaching Experience -Painting and Batik at Air force school [ New Delhi ] 1996-2004] Photography at Kalindi College at Delhi university as guest faculty 2004-2006]
Publications
Tagore’s concepts of space and Architecture of Santiniketan / Niyogi Books Delhi
Reborn in India. Wall paper / Digital Illustration Project
Hotel New Bengal, One star Press France /2008 [Limited edition Artist books]
Intach Heritage Number [on Tagore Architecture] 2009
Lalit Kala Swamakalin [Tagore portraits and swami Vivekananda]
The Week [Supporting act]
Ekok Matra , Kolkata [ On Tagore’s Portaits]
‘Japon Chitra’ special Number [‘ Bheja mejher Chobi’ / an essay on Self Journey]
Essay on Home and World for a Web Journal
Essay on Santiniketan Architecture based on Alain Danielou and Raymond Baurnier Photo show at ICCR Delhi and Chittagaon AF.
Need of Archives and Indian art / purolok barta [a journal published from Tarapada Santra Foundation 2015]
My best eight cities /Art Asia Pacific Magazine [photo essay]
‘You are Said to be me’/ Annual Journal of India Habitat Centre
Resonance of Swami Vivekananda art Of Nandalal bose / India Horizon,ICCR Journal 2012
‘Essence of Tagore writing’s [ Mazumder Punthi ] Christies India Sale Catalogue 2014
Written an essay for an Archival show on Delhi Art Gallery Collection.
He has deep interest on archiving and documentation. Samit has held several solo shows in London, Singapore, New Delhi, and Kolkata Mumbai. He has documented the Tagore house Museum in Kolkata [1999-2001]
Samit’s research on Santiniketan Architecture started from his MFA Studies and published a book Titled –Architecture of Santiniketan : Tagore’s concepts of space with Niogy Books [ Delhi]. He has collaborated to publish an Artist’s Book from Onestar Press [France] in 2011 he has received the BRIC scholarship to visit Italy.Samit was part of the program to prepare a Dossier: Santiniketan as World Heritage Centre on behalf of ASI. He has done the Tagore’s architecture show Titled – The Idea of space and Rabindranath Tagore at Different venue like Lalit Kala Academy New Delhi, India International Centre, New Delhi , Victoria Memorial hall, Kolkata, Alliance Francaise , Dhaka and Freies Museum Berlin.
DISSERTATION
A Research Based Study on the Subject –
Shantiniketan Architecture and Surendra Nath Kar, as part of the M.Fine course-1996.
Major Exhibitions Curated and research based on History and Archives
1] Idea Of Space and Architecture of Santiniketan /2010-2011-2012[ Lalit kala akademy, victoria memorial hall]supported by Ministry Of Culture .
2] Architecture of Rabindranath Tagore and Today’s Environment’. India International Centre, New Delhi 2011
3] ‘You are said to be me’ [based on Tagore portraits] / India habitat Centre 2013
4] Resonance of Swami Vivekananda and art of Nandalal bose / Lalit kala akademy New Delhi and Khetri Palace , Rajasthan / supported by Ministry of culture /2014
Slide talk
Talk On Santineketan Architecture at All India Radio – National Chanel 2008 New Delhi
Architecture of Santiniketan / Bangalore NGMA Organised by MASA 2011
Talk on Tagore’s Architecture And Santiniketan Nehru Memorial Library Teen Murti , New Delhi 2011
Architecture of Santiniketan/ Patha Bhavan school Kolkata , Kamala Raheja Architecture college , Mumbai 2010-2011/ Vinay Nagar School 2012
In search of Artist book / Tarq Gallery Mumbai 2014
Essence of Indian Drawing with FICA and KNMA and Delhi Art Gallery 2014- 1015
Video Bites on Nandalal Bose and Gaganendranath Tagore for Delhi Art Gallery2014-15
In search of Visual Vocabulary – Cabinet Foundation Basel2016
Materials and transformation into Art, Sitterwerk , St Gallen -2016
India is a Living Museum, on Alain Danielou’s work, New Delhi-2016
International Symposium at Villa Vassilieff/ Paris 2017
Collection
National Art Library: Victoria and Albert Museum London.
Tata Steel
Presently working on Digitization of
Visva Bharati Quarterly, [from 1928 onwards] [Personal Collection]
Materials based on Early Bengal [late 19th and 2oth century] [Personal Collection]
Archiving a personal Collection based on Bengal school.
A Rare photographs and Letters Collection of Late Baren Ray
Presently working on a book Titled Resonance of Swami Vivekananda and Art of Nandalal Bose and other exhibition and research projects and actively working for Alain Danielou India Committee.
Future Seminar and Exhibition
Alice Boner, Alain Danielou and EO Hoppe’s work based on India
Spiritual aspects on Indian art
Indian art and reflection of artist based in Paris.
Legend and Archaeology, New Delhi 2017
Website www.samitdas.com and www.artandvisualarchives.com
An extensive website is describing my own artistic journey with history, archives, and documentations. it also an solo effort to build a resource materials for artist, photographer , historian and archivist.
Site Specific Projects
Kalaghoda Art Festival Mumbai 2005 AND 2006
Janghu Journey. At Lijjiang China, 2005, research trip for a residency, and worked in a traditional Chinese house.
Jaipur Festival 2005[kite and prints project at Ramchandraji temple.
‘Wild style’ London wall graffiti show at British council café, New Delhi 2003[photographs displayed at lobby and café and using those same images as food mat on table and menu card as well.]
Context and Content Museum as Metaphor- 2001. CHANDIGARH [site specific work with
Museum collection, objects, and urbanization 2011
‘Bees and Beehives’ Art at Hyatt Chennai /Project conceived by Rajiv Sethi 2010-11
A Large Installation at Leela Kempinsky /Rose Wood Hall, Gurgaon-2009 [/Project conceived by Rajiv Sethi]
Album Project AT britto residency/ work shop, Bangladesh / 2010
Tagore Architecture Project At Aliance Francaise Dhaka 2012
Mumbai International Airport 2013-14
Looking at Srilankan Mural and Frescos, Teertha residency, Red dot gallery, Colombo / 2014-15
Fellowship- Samit has awarded ProHelvetia fellowship to study at Material Archive and library at Sitterwerk [Switzerland] and 2017 he has awarded Pernod Ricard Fellowship from Villa Vassilief , Paris to work on Modernism in India with Paris Connection.
Commissioned projects on Archival and Documentation works
1] Tagore House Museum, Kolakata/1999-2001
2] Santiniketan Architecture 1994-2008
3] Architecture and Interior of Shah House [Designed by Charles Correa and Interior by Rajiv Sethi]
4] Old JK House in Kolkata/ 2006-07
5] Tagore note book [Mazumder Punthi] 2014
6] Tagore Portraits [Published and Unpublished] 2010-14
7] Succhanada Sarkar Collection [Archival Photographs based on Tagore and Santiniketan] 2011-12
8] ‘Chitrakkhar’ [A signed and edition book by Abanindranath Tagore] 2011
9] Chatterjee’s picture album [total 15 Number] 2013- 2014
10] Archiving of a personal collection based on Bengal school artists.
