Some 20 years back, the most revered and renowned artist of the state, Neelpawan Barua, saw immense talent in the brush stroke of a 12-year-old boy from Mangaldoi. The perfect combination of colours, along with an artistic flair, immediately caught Barua?s eye who encouraged the boy to take up painting as a passion that should remain with him till his last breath.

After a gap of more than 20 years, Dadul Chaliha, one of the most promising artists of the state, is holding his biggest exhibition atg Sankardev Kalakshetra this month, along with his wife and muse Minakshi Bargohain and two-and-a-half-year-old son, Nishant. Minakshi is also a well-known name in the artistic circle. Nishant, like his parents, has already started showing prodigious talent with his brush and colours.

?We are going to showcase some 150 painting pieces,? he informs. His paintings range from the depiction of first man and woman on earth, titled Adam and Eve, to the brutal rape and murder of eight-year-old Barnali. As an artist, Chaliha has a knack for experimental painting with a touch of realistic mode of expression. Astonishing colours and lines characterise his paintings.

The exhibition will have some 15 paintings depicted on X-Ray plates. ?I would rather call them pieces of sculpture where maximum effort has been given to draw the attention of the viewers,? he reflects. ?In most of the exhibitions, the audience?s attention gets derailed by external influences. So my intention is to create a relationship between the audience and the sculptures,? he adds.

Born in a tiny hamlet in Mangaldoi on August 15, 1969, Chaliha began his journey as a painter by decorating the vast stretch of soil with a stick. ?Soil emits a sense of belonging within me and there I used to draw my favourite animal, elephants and other childhood fantasies on the lap of mother earth,? recalls the artist.

?Although my family was not very encouraging, the urge to paint smouldered within me. So in spite of all the odds, I was determined to play with the colourful strokes,? he says. ?Great artists like Neelpawan Barua and Dilip Tamuly gave me a lot of encouragement.?

During his schooldays, Chaliha?s paintings won gold, silver and bronze medals in competitions conducted by Gauhati University. After finishing his higher secondary exams, Chaliha enrolled himself in the Government College of Art and Craft for a bachelor degree in fine arts. ?Because of my hard work and dedication, I passed my exam with a first class first,? he smiles. ?Although during my schooldays I got a scholarship to study art in Baroda, reluctance from family members stopped me from chasing my cherished dream.?

His talent flourished and as early as 1995, when he was still a student of B.F.A course, his paintings were exhibited in an all-India art exhibition, AIFACS?, New Delhi.

His paintings were later shown in many national and regional exhibitions.

He is also an accomplished singer and musician.

Chaliha?s collection of paintings is stored in various galleries in Canada, Delhi, Guwahati, Rajasthan, Hissar and Jammu.

He has conducted numerous workshops, from Lalit Kala Kendra in Calcutta to the Assam Fine Art and Craft Society in Guwahati.

He was given a scholarship by the ministry of human resource development, department of culture, New Delhi. Many of his paintings were also exhibited in award functions, making Chaliha a favourite of art critics and connoisseurs alike.

?After the completion of my bachelor degree, I travelled between Guwahati and Mangaldoi as my institute in Mangaldoi, Fine Art Complex, was in its infancy and needed my time,? he says.

Today the institute, which boasts an illustrious alumni list, has some 300 students of art.

?Indigenous puppet shows and the mask-making have always intrigued me and I was deeply touched by the greenery of my land and consciously and unconsciously all these aspects gets reflected in my work,? he muses.

?I always bring out the realist aspect of any subject matter on which I dwell upon and try to remain honest to myself.?

?Evolution of art is very necessary and to change my style of work constantly is something I try to avoid,? Chaliha says.

My forthcoming exhibition will basically focus the innermost psyche of human beings,? he says. In most of his paintings, he tries to tap the subconscious mind where the images slowly evolve from darkness to light.

?We are like puppets, hollow deep inside and stitched together and thus a deep vacuum lies within. And here in the void of the soul, I try to put colours,? he contemplates.

?My wife is always there to inspire me and at times when hope fades away she prods me to continue with my endeavour,? he smiles.

Chaliha?s life is one that is completely consecrated to the cause of art. ?Although the process of coming up with a genuine painting may take hours, it is spiritually liberating,? he says.

?Not a single day passes when we don?t paint and the time spent in the proximity of colours and brush are the best I can think about,? he reflects.

Chaliha?s paintings narrate the saga of this land and the people it nurtures. A painter, a musician and a lover of life, Chaliha holds the torch of Assamese art legacy.