Debashish Paul, "Beyond The Body and Gender" Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
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Portfolio: Debashish Paul He explores the problems of queer identity in a society dominated by heterosexual norms

Debashish Paul, Photo by Bharat
Debashish Paul, Photo by Bharat

Debashish Paul (born in 1994 in Nadia district in West Bengal) explores the problems of queer identity in a society dominated by heterosexual norms. Paul has done his BFA from The Indian college of Art and Draftsmanship, in sculpture, Kolkata, and this year he completed his master’s degree in sculpture from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He works across mediums including sculptural dress, performance, video, and drawing. He seeks to expand and explore the tabooed conception of homosexuality by unveiling the body, treating it as a tender landscape, and generating new references to queer identities. Working in the method of automatism. Paul’s recent sculptural costumes and connected performances indicate no specific gender orientation, male or female, are, in fact, the sensible screens, which both conceal and reveal fragile emotions and desires, always in conflict with society.

Paul was one of the winners of the: Inlaks Fine art award 2022, India; Allegro 1st prize 2021, Contemporary LYNX, UK : Of Liminal Beings and Other Spaces -2021, Emami Art, Kolkata, India Artist Relief Fund-2021 (MAP in partnership with 1Shanthiroad Studio/Gallery); Student’s Biennale – 2021, Kochi, Kala Sakshi Workshop-2021, Emami Art Open Call Exhibition -2020, Kolkata.

Statement:

Through his work, the artist explores the problems of queer identity in a society dominated by heterosexual norms, working across mediums including sculptural costume, performance, dance, video, and drawing. He identifies as non-binary and seeks to expand and explore the taboo around homosexuality by unveiling the body, treating it as a tender landscape, and generating new references for queer identities. Working in the method of automatism, he expresses his private emotions and sensibilities freely and without any control of prior thought or planning. He is meticulous while choosing materials for his works.

His recent sculptural costumes and connected performances indicate no specific gender orientation, male or female. They are sensible screens that conceal and reveal fragile emotions and desires that conflict with society. The sculptural dresses he makes and wears, hide the physical body but reveal the internal body. In most cases, they are fluid figures, as if the innate complexity and diversity cannot be contained in a human outline. These continue to transform according to emotion, feelings and space. The captive soul wants to be free through performance and movement. The symbolic scenography of his dance and performance both in nature and city streets sets a stage for a story about hidden, personal dreams. Art becomes the “door to freedom”.


Debashish Paul "Beyond The Body And Gender", Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul “Beyond The Body And Gender”, Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul "Beyond The Body And Gender", Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul “Beyond The Body And Gender”, Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul "Beyond The Body And Gender", Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul “Beyond The Body And Gender”, Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist

Beyond The Body and Gender

Sculptural Dress , Performance Based Video and photo
Video Duration – 6min 56sec
Sculpture Dress Medium- Nepali Handmade Paper, cloth, watercolor , charcoal
Year 2021
collaborate with Saurabh Singh and Suraj Gupta for videography and photography


Debashish Paul, "Beyond The Body and Gender" Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul, “Beyond The Body and Gender” Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul, "Beyond The Body and Gender" Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul, “Beyond The Body and Gender” Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul, "Beyond The Body and Gender" Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist
Debashish Paul, “Beyond The Body and Gender” Photo by Srabani Naskar and courtesy of the artist

Beyond The Body and Gender II

Sculptural Dress, Performance Based Video
Video Duration – 6min 58sec
Sculptural Dress Medium- Woven shells
Year 2021
collaborate with Saurabh Singh, Amit Verma, Srabani Naskar for videography and photography


Debashish Paul, "The Boneless Hands", Photo by courtesy Emami Art @Of Liminal Beings and Other Spaces Aug 2021
Debashish Paul, “The Boneless Hands”, Photo by courtesy Emami Art @Of Liminal Beings and Other Spaces Aug 2021
Debashish Paul, "The Boneless Hands", Photo credit by Aritra Majumder
Debashish Paul, “The Boneless Hands”, Photo credit by Aritra Majumder

The Boneless Hands

performance with sculptural dress and sound
Interventions in Space 28 august 2021
An on-site performance as part of the exhibition – “Of Liminal Beings & Other Spaces”, Curated by Ushmita Sahu at Emami Art, Kolkata


Paul Debashish, "Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape" photo by Saurabh Singh
Paul Debashish, “Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape” photo by Saurabh Singh

Paul Debashish, "Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape" photo by Saurabh Singh
Paul Debashish, “Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape” photo by Saurabh Singh
Paul Debashish, "Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape" photo by Saurabh Singh
Paul Debashish, “Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape” photo by Saurabh Singh

Body as a Landscape; Body in a Landscape

Sculptural Dress, Performance Based Video
Work in progress
Year 2021
collaborate with Saurabh Singh for videography and photography


Debashish Paul, "Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II
Debashish Paul, “Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II
Debashish Paul, "Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II
Debashish Paul, “Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II
Debashish Paul, "Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II
Debashish Paul, “Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II

“ Eyes I Dear not Meet in Dreams” II

Medium – Nepali Handmade Paper, cloth, watercolor, ink
Year 2020
Size – 3.8’ x 3’ x 2.5’


Debashish Paul, "Let me be no nearer in death’s dream kingdom Let me also wear Such deliberate disguises Rat’s cot"
Debashish Paul, “Let me be no nearer in death’s dream kingdom Let me also wear Such deliberate disguises Rat’s cot”
Debashish Paul, "Let me be no nearer in death’s dream kingdom Let me also wear Such deliberate disguises Rat’s cot"
Debashish Paul, “Let me be no nearer in death’s dream kingdom Let me also wear Such deliberate disguises Rat’s cot”

“Let me be no nearer in death’s dream kingdom Let me also wear Such deliberate disguises Rat’s cot”
Medium – Tissue Paper , Ink , Rope,
Size – 5.5’ x 2’ x 1’
year 2020


Debashish Paul, "Soul Colors Reflects on the Body" series
Debashish Paul, “Soul Colors Reflects on the Body” series
"Soul Colors Reflects on the Body" series
Debashish Paul, “Soul Colors Reflects on the Body” series
Debashish Paul, "Soul Colors Reflects on the Body" series
Debashish Paul, “Soul Colors Reflects on the Body” series

“Soul Colors Reflects on the Body” series

Year 2021
Medium – Water Color on Canson Paper
Each paper size – 8.3”x11.7”


The mind full of desire
Debashish Paul, The mind full of desire
The mind full of desire
Debashish Paul, The mind full of desire
The mind full of desire
Debashish Paul, The mind full of desire

The mind full of desire

Medium – Watercolor, Charcoal, Dry pastel on handmade paper
Each Paper Size – 8”x12”
Year 2021

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