Artist’s Statement

Back home in Chittagong, before 2002, I grew up with the label “Dandi” — a name for members of the Hindu community that carried a sting I could never quite shake. When I moved to Kolkata, India, to pursue higher education, I felt a quiet relief, thinking I had left that word behind.

But Kolkata had another name waiting for me: “Bangal.” It was used for people from East Bengal who migrated to West Bengal after the 1947 partition, while “Ghoti” referred to the locals. For six years, no matter how I explained my intentions or origins, the name stayed with me.

This experience led me to question what we mean by identity, not the kind bound by maps, politics, or history, but the human core we all share. As I traveled across India, I witnessed vast differences in culture, language, clothing, and skin tone — yet also one undeniable truth: every person carries the same flowing red blood.

For me, red has become the color of unity and humanity. In my work, it stands as a reminder that what binds us runs deeper than any label, and far beyond the borders we draw.

~ Sanjoy Chakraborty