On one hand, there is artist Shyamal Mukherjee, who has spent his entire life in Kolkata, only venturing out to attend showings of his works. The artist, who completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1987, and then his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in 1989 from the Rabindra Bharati University, is known for his works on reverse oil or acrylic painting on transparent acrylic sheets. Expect to see a strong Bengal School figurative tradition being carried ahead and interpreted in a contemporary way. “Most of my inspiration comes from observing people. In my Bawa-Biwi series of paintings, all you can see is happiness, there is not an iota of grief in it. Only happy and colourful figures,” he says. Most of the people Mukherjee paints are performers of some type or something all of us do in our day-to- day life, like going to the market or sitting at home. His figures are dressed in some of the brightest shades of orange, faces almost cartoon-like and their fingers podgy, making a striking image. Another interesting feature in his paintings are that his characters are in pairs or larger groups, never alone.