Mritunjay Mondal spent his childhood in Dhaltitha, a small village in West Bengal, surrounded by green fields and the Ichhamoti River. Drawn to pencils and paper from an early age, he found inspiration in the river, afternoons spent rowing boats, and the earthy flute melodies of shepherd children. His brother, Samir Mondal, an established artist, nurtured his passion by gifting him a box of watercolours, with which he created his first painting. “Armed with my watercolors, pencils and paper, I would try to give form to the intangible pleasures of the river, the fields and songs of the flutes.”
Mondal left his village to study at an art college in Kolkata, where exposure to a new environment and the works of great painters helped him refine his artistic vision. Five years later, he moved to Mumbai, encountering a world vastly different from Dhaltitha. “I was at the confluence of mountains and the sea, of the rich and the poor, of dreams and reality. Once more, the subjects of my paintings extended to capture this new place.” It was in Mumbai, at Jehangir Art Gallery, that he held his first solo exhibition.
Landscapes and nature remain recurring themes in his work, reflecting a longing to relive the idyllic days by the Ichhamoti. His paintings are largely realistic, inspired by experiences that move him. “I still do not attempt abstract paintings because there is still so much to understand and so much to grasp in the real world.”
His work often contrasts the warmth and tranquillity of village life with the relentless pace of the city. These conflicting emotions found expression in his exhibition In Between. As he explains, “Sometimes I really like living in Mumbai, at others I tire of the pace and want to return to my roots, to live life at a more thoughtful pace, next to the familiar waters of the Ichhamoti.”
Mondal chooses his medium according to the subject and mood. He uses acrylic for complex or deeply internalised ideas, appreciating the time it allows for
reflection. Watercolour, however, remains his first love. Its fluidity and unpredictability lend his paintings an organic quality, capturing fleeting experiences and the changing rhythms of the places he has known—from the Ichhamoti to the Ganges and the Arabian Sea.
Through the changing landscapes of his life, Mondal has remained committed to painting positive subjects. “If I can bring even a moment’s relief, release
or peace to the viewer, my painting has succeeded.” He strives to communicate simply and clearly, allowing optimism and an inner glow of hope to emerge
naturally from his work.
The artist lives and works in Kolkata.
