One of the paintings by Chandan Chandra on display at Gallery Gold. Picture by Arnab Mondal

Ami ek din shilpi hotey chai (I want to be an artist someday) — the earnest simplicity of lifer Chandan Chandra’s words touched a chord with the curator of Gallery Gold, who decided to give him a platform.

A solo exhibition of 32 paintings by Chandra was inaugurated by dancer Alokananda Roy, who transformed the lives of several prisoners with culture therapy, at Gallery Gold in Mudiali on March 22. Such has been the response that the exhibition dates have been extended till April 10.

“When a person is confined.... It is also an emotional and mental confinement,” said Roy, who has staged several dance shows with prisoners. “Through moments of creativity, a prisoner is freed of all the negativity pent up inside. We, as society, should appreciate that little creativity in them.”

Chandra’s moment came when Ganesh Maiti, a former security officer at Alipore Central jail, called up the Gallery Gold curator, Reshmi Chatterjee, to tell her about “a lifer but who could do wonders with a paintbrush”.

“I always wanted to be an artist. This is a dream come true. I’m very happy that my paintings are being exhibited and people are appreciating my work. I hope to get better and scale new heights,” Chandra told Metro over phone.

The 51-year-old, who has been in jail for around a decade, started dabbling in painting long before. “I had seen my husband paint a little here and there during the early years of our marriage. He also took a keen interest in photography. He took tuitions and taught dramatics for a living. His father tried his best to get him trained a little in painting but circumstances took a different turn and Chandan landed up in jail,” said wife Kokila, 36, struggling to fight back tears.

The family lives in Danton, West Midnapore, where Chandra’s son Sukesh, 14, and daughter Sannasree, 16, are students at Baipatna Vidyasagar High School.

“Chandan was the only earning member... the family can barely make ends meet. We have decided to hand over the proceeds of the exhibition to Kokila and her children,” said Chatterjee. The paintings are priced at Rs 10,000 and 20,000.

“A lot of people have expressed interest. Every painting is a story in itself, which is why we have displayed them without captions… there is a strong message in all his works. He misses his village a lot and often paints scenes and sights from his village in varying shades of light. Others talk about atrocities on women in our society, peace and freedom… one can trace a deep longing to breathe freely under the open sky,” said the curator.

“This is a cause close to my heart. If creativity is channelised in the right direction, one can touch the stars. I’m very happy for Chandan and hope art lovers appreciate his work,” said Sankar Sen, the director of Gallery Gold.

IG (correctional service) Ranvir Kumar is proud and happy for Chandra. “The authorities always encourage inmates to pursue excellence in a particular field. Chandan is not just a good painter but a good sculptor as well. I am very happy that a city gallery is hosting an exhibition of his works.”