Masterful lines and lens

Popularly known as Jyoti Bhatt, Jyotindra Manshankar Bhatt is one of those rare artists whose creations transcend boundaries of time and are deeply rooted in India’s culture and people. The 91-year-old Baroda-based artist has a huge range of art forms in his oeuvre — prints, lithographs, serigraphs, photographs, etchings, oils and watercolour paintings and much more. In the ongoing show ‘Jyoti Bhatt: Through the Line & the Lens’, presented by New Delhi-based gallery Latitude 28, besides these myriad works, one can also witness some personal diaries and letters that articulate his philosophy.

When asked how he creates in such diverse mediums and forms, Bhatt responds, “Each medium offers its own challenges and possibilities. My approach has always been rooted in curiosity. I move between forms, depending on what the subject or idea demands — sometimes it’s a camera, sometimes an etching plate. Over time, my engagement with different media has become a way of continuing to learn.”

Born in Gujarat in pre-Independent India, he returned to MS University in Baroda, his alma mater, in 1966 as a teacher in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Despite dabbling in myriad art forms, it was printmaking that caught his attention the most. As he says, “Printmaking came into my life quite unexpectedly — as an elective subject during college. Krishna Reddy’s work left a strong impression on me, and that’s when I began exploring etching more seriously. When I joined MS University, printmaking wasn’t a major subject. In fact, techniques like intaglio and serigraphy were not much known. My interest deepened during my time at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples (1961-62), and later at the Pratt Institute in New York (1964-66). I realised the creative possibilities of the medium and that printmaking wasn’t just technically rich, it was also a powerful, democratic tool. In the US, printmaking was thriving — young artists were embracing it, and institutions like the Pratt Graphic Arts Centre, Tamarind Lithography Studio and Bob Blackburn’s Studio were doing important work to promote it. That environment really inspired me. In retrospect, printmaking gave me a certain freedom early on — a way to reach people, experiment, and express ideas in a unique and lasting form.”

His photographic essays showcase the rich traditional heritage and artistic traditions of our country. The artist feels that a camera can preserve something even the eye might miss. While he began photography by documenting his own work, he took to photographing the works of fellow artists, and eventually shifted towards “the rich, living traditions of rural and tribal regions in India”. As he realised that many of these traditions were slowly vanishing, he felt an urgent personal need to preserve them — not by idealising them, but by observing them with honesty and care. “I believe artists have an important role in safeguarding cultural memory. Through sensitive observation, we can capture not only the art forms themselves, but also the life and context surrounding them. For me, photography became a kind of ‘time machine’ — when I look at those images, I feel transported back, both in time and place.”

Pluralism and liberal thinking are the mainstay of Bhatt’s artistic narratives as he deploys art as a route into his mind. “Art has always been a way of understanding the world — more about reflection than instruction,” says Bhatt, who has never seen it as a medium to preach. He adds, “While some of my works may carry political undertones, my focus has always been on the visual strength of the image, not its ideological weight. I had my schooling in Bhavnagar at a school named Home School, where the ethos was shaped by Gandhiji and Tagore, allowing me a liberal, progressive space. That openness only deepened through experiences with my teachers like NS Bendre and KG Subramanyan.”

Jyoti Bhatt was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019 and was chosen as a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 2022, besides winning several international accolades such as the Asia Arts Vanguard Award. The diversity and richness of his art is witnessed through his etchings, prints and intaglios, but what makes them so distinct is the manner in which he has re-interpreted the symbology of quintessential Indian motifs such as the parrot, lotus, peacock, gods, goddesses, tribal and folk lines and drawings, and recreated them in his works.

As he recalls the journey of research on folk symbology and rare tribal designs, he feels, “It was perhaps inevitable that folk motifs and designs found a way into my work and were translated into newer forms in each of the mediums I ventured into.” He travelled to various regions across India in pursuit of documenting artistic traditions. “My method has always been grounded in spending time with communities. One begins to see how their art reflects a harmonious relationship with nature,” he says.

On how he perceives the future for young artists and how older artists are so integral to this transformation, he reflects, “I think it is in our nature as humans to look to what history has to offer, and we live by example and experimentation that provides us with future possibilities. What was once new becomes old at some point. These voices embody lived experience and historical memory, offering a context that can anchor contemporary practices. Together, this intergenerational dialogue ensures a more layered and meaningful cultural discourse.”

— The writer is a New Delhi-based contributor

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