‘Technology cannot overtake true creativity’, says artist Paresh Maity about use of AI in art

As the door opened to the large expanse of creativity, hues of red, yellow and blue filled the enormous canvases spread across the room. Colours both bright and deep engulfed the eyes. This was an artist’s abode, shelves filled with paints and brushes and corners decorated with eccentric sculptures. The glass tables had texts speaking of the exhibitions by Paresh Maity, to whom this house and art studio belonged.

The creator of one of India’s longest paintings, The Indian Odyssey at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi, he has had his works placed in prestigious locations like the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the British Museum in London. Maity, who has over 80 solo exhibitions to his credit, recently spoke with indianexpress.com about his creative process, his artistic journey, and his upcoming collaboration.

Ask him about the role of technology and artificial intelligence in art and Maity is confident that new technologies can never replace or overtake creativity. “If that were the case, people wouldn’t still feel joy when visiting a museum or appreciating a Picasso painting. However, the digital medium has made art more accessible—we can view any artist’s work at the click of a button,” said the 59-year-old.

An artist of high repute, Maity was awarded the Padma Shree in 2014 by the Government of India. While he acknowledges the importance of awards, he believes the ultimate victory for an artist is when the audience derives joy and a sense of ecstasy from the art created. “I feel like a successful artist. There is no greater reward than your audience finding your art immersive,” Maity said.

Paresh Maity points at a painting to explain his art techniques. (Express Photo by Niharika Lal)

Coming from a traditional Bengali household, Paresh Maity, like many other Bengalis, found inspiration in Rabindranath Tagore. “Tagore is a mahasagar to me, an all-encompassing artist who crafted magic with his words. I consider him one of India’s greatest modern artists—he could have been the next Picasso. His life as an artist taught me that all art forms, whether poetry, music, or painting, are intertwined,” said Maity, expressing his deep admiration for the late artist.

Love for travel

Maity, who has travelled extensively across India and the West, said his favourite travel destinations lie in his own country. “From Rajasthan to Kerala to Varanasi to Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and Orissa, wherever you go, there are such amazing colours, people, places, art and architecture. I love to travel. It gives me new insights, ideas, images, colour, new light and life,” he shared.

Paresh Maity with his paintings at his house studio. (Express Photo by by Niharika Lal)

Maity revealed he tries to capture destinations on his sketch pad while he is on a voyage. “I keep my window open to learn while I do small paintings on site. I sit on the stairs of the Varanasi banks of Ganga or in Venice, with cherry blossoms in Japan or in the hills of the Himalayas. I have painted live at these places and I must say every place is a different world.”

Pointing at a painting under process, Maity said, “Even though I have just started this painting, its memory goes back thirty years. I had just come to Bombay at Madh Island for an art camp and each morning I used to go for a walk to a fishing village to witness the dawn’s red cracking in the sky. A very bright and strong red as the morning approached. I am trying to capture that in this painting.”

Paresh Maity in conversation with The Indian Express at his studio. (Express Photo by Niharika Lal)

Creative process

Hailing from the small town of Tamluk in West Bengal, Maity says most of his art is predominantly water. “I have lived surrounded by water laden skies, rivers, canals and other ponds that live within me. I am inseparable with water, we are one,” Maity told us.

His creative process is an amalgamation of all cultures that he has come across. “I see the colour of the day in the morning and after the sun sets. Whenever I start a piece of art, I get completely absorbed by it. Although I do not paint mythology, and the subjects of my art are very social, Durga has always inspired me. Ever since I was a child, I visited Durga puja pandals during the festival in Tamluk. I guess that is where I picked the red, alongside the spirit of festivity and spirituality.”

Paresh Maity painting a Durga painting at his studio. (Express Photo by by Niharika Lal)

Latest collaboration

In an upcoming art festival in Goa titled Malhar and the Sea, Maity is set to paint as maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan plays magic on the sarod. Describing it as a jugalbandi between two worlds, Maity said, “Since a lot of my art takes inspiration from nature, converting the music of Amjad ji on my canvas would be a thrilling experience. I am going to paint with the memories of my early visits to Goa almost forty years ago, the music, and the sea to paint spontaneously.”

He also says this is not the first time he shall be performing such a confluence of two art forms and has done this previously at the Opera House in Kolkata.

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