My understanding of art was shaped in Santiniketan, says Tom Vattakuzhy

Internationally acclaimed for his luminous, figurative works that quietly challenge and question, Tom Vattakuzhy has made headlines across the world. Known for his mastery of oil on canvas, Vattakuzhy has now opened his first-ever solo exhibition in India— The Shadows of Absence. Originally planned for New York, the exhibition’s shift to Birla Academy of Art & Culturein Kolkata marks what the artist calls a “poignant homecoming.” The show has been curated by Prof. R. Siva Kumar, and explores themes of memory, stillness, and the poetry of everyday life. “This show was to happen at NYC, but I’m glad it didn’t. Bengal made me an artist. The years I spent at Santiniketan shaped who I am,” said Tom, who is an alumnus of Visva-Bharati.


"“In India, very few artists use realism to explore deeper human relationships. Tom does—and that makes his work exceptional. Tom does in painting what some of our finest writers have done in literature—looking intimately, critically, at the lives around them" - Prof. R. Siva Kumar, curator

‘I wanted to reiterate that Gandhi was assassinated’
Tom’s The Death of Gandhi drew attention online, including a tweet from Rahul Gandhi, but also criticism. “An exam question once had an option where it mentioned Gandhi died in a car accident. That disturbed me. He was assassinated,” he said. The painting was to reiterate that. His The Last Supper, depicting Christ as a woman, also faced heat. “I see Christ in the poor, the alienated, in women – not just a man with a beard.”

‘My fascination for light started in childhood’
Growing up in a Kerala village, Tom’s earliest visual memories came while guarding paddy. “I would sit with a vacant mind and watch shadows move – it became meditative,” he said. That quiet observation shaped his artistic vision. In his work, light isn’t realistic but lyrical. “It adds to the meaning and content of the work.”




‘Art becomes meaningful when it strikes a chord’
Tom said his painting process is slow and meditative, beginning with a feeling that gradually takes visual shape. “I don’t think about a narrative. I keep that feeling in my mind for days and then gradually a form emerges,” he explained. Though his works may appear realistic, he said they do not follow any storyline. “You are left to experience the work on your own. A work becomes meaningful when it strikes a chord with your inner self.”


"This show was to happen at NYC, but I’m glad it didn’t happen there. Bengal made me an artist. The years I spent at Santiniketan shaped who I am"- Tom Vattakuzhy


‘Art becomes meaningful when it strikes a chord’
Tom said his painting process is slow and meditative, beginning with a feeling that gradually takes visual shape. “I don’t think about a narrative. I keep that feeling in my mind for days and then gradually a form emerges,” he explained. Though his works may appear realistic, he said they do not follow any storyline. “You are left to experience the work on your own. A work becomes meaningful when it strikes a chord with your inner self.”