Avijit Dutta, The Journey, 2019
Nepali handmade paper, charcoal, acrylic, and pen on Cartridge paper
19 × 28.75 inches
Avijit Dutta's imagery captures the complex world of factory labor, where survival itself becomes a daily negotiation. Faceless figures, often hidden within 'thongas' or nylon sacks, speak to the anonymity and identity crisis of industrial workers whose individuality is absorbed into the machinery of production. By concealing the workers’ faces, Avijit does not erase them but exposes the systemic forces that obscure their humanity. Through surreal yet grounded depictions, he portrays a community that finds fleeting humor, solidarity, and dignity amid hardship. His ongoing engagement with Howrah’s industrial hubs—its railway yards, foundries, and iron workshops—reveals a deep empathy for the people who inhabit them. Ultimately, his work stands as a tribute to the common man: a meditation on labor, survival, and the unyielding fight for existence that defines the human condition.