Surreal in the mundane

Surreal is the element which is embodied by the warm-tinted shots captured by Sagnik Dey, an artist devoted in the pursuit of capturing the moments which flee from the present. Born with an adventurous heart and an eye for detail and refinement, we see the lights, people and action in his photographs.

"My earliest memory of art is intersting. My mother, with a gentle smile, had presented me with a small colouring book— of perhaps twenty pages with a simple instruction to 'colour the subject.' I threw myself into the task with the boundless enthusiasm of a child. Yet, when I rushed back, my small masterpiece held aloft, ready to receive accolades, I was met not with praise, but with frowning eyes and a shadow of sadness upon her face. From that day, despite countless attempts, the delicate art of blending colours on paper remained an elusive, frustrating mastery—I was never a virtuoso of the palette.

Then, a new fascination dawned. My father gifted my mother a new phone—our very first smartphone, boasting both generous storage and a remarkably competent camera. Back then, I was a fervent devotee of animated cartoons and mobile games, and I casually began to 'click' pictures as a mere, amusing time-pass. I vividly recall one fine September afternoon. A languid, soft rain was cascading outside my window. I was inside, completely engrossed and fidgeting with my mother’s new device, determined to ensnare the perfect, luminous dialogue between the setting sun and the afternoon shower. I instinctively navigated to the manual settings, delicately dialling down the exposure, and took three or four rapid shots.

When I retreated to the gallery, I was met with an image that stole my breath. I could scarcely believe my eyes: a magnificent, almost painful stillness—the rare and ephemeral beauty that had unfolded before me, meticulously distilled and captured, pixel by breathtaking pixel! My mother was utterly delighted, her face alight with pride, as she gazed upon the shots. In that moment of shared wonder, when I dared to ask for my own 'professional' DSLR camera, the ecstatic wave of her 'yes' was the most joyous affirmation of my life’s unfolding path.

That is how I started capturing through the lens and artistry of colors, hassle free. Now I don't have to worry about spilling colours outside of the borders of the painting."

Born with an adventurous spirit, Sagnik is a person who hunts for the everyday chores, ever-searching for the unspoken narratives and the vivid, pulsating heart of everyday existence. His primary muse is found in the transient kaleidoscope of human expression: the quiet resilience of routine life, the shared effervescence of community gatherings, and the electrifying surge of emotion during local festivities. He documents the souls he encounters, allowing the varied topography of their feelings—from melancholic reflection to unbridled, visceral happiness—to be the central, grounding element of his work.

The bridge between the unfiltered moments and the dreamlike rendition of the photographs lies the artist's dwelling. The visual dilect built with the incorporation of colour manipulation, warm tonal quality and a darker appearance makes it distinctive.

"I want my shots to be appealing- visually, or else, why would a picture fancy anybody? And if a picture doesn't have a story to tell, why would I click them in the first place?"

"Every story, as he believes, shaped by the yearning to capture the ordinary through his mastery makes it memorable and surreal." This artistic conviction is the essence of Sagnik Dey’s entire journey. His work is a warmly tinted memoir that fuses his adventurous spirit with the profound beauty of human emotion, using light and colour at his disposal. He elevates the everyday life and happiness of his subjects, turning simple scenes into unforgettable dreamscapes through his visual language. As a result, we get the way he likes to view the world. And every shot is intentional.