Arpan Mukherjee: Lens-based Artist 

Arpan's work is deeply rooted in his everyday experiences and his personal interpretations of the world around him. Through research, documentation, and archiving, he critically examines the discrimination, political and economic state of society. His works are process-based, and he often uses the 19th-century photographic process to express his artistic vision.

 

The history of materials and processes of 19th-century photography fascinates Arpan as an artist. He works and explores the artistic possibility with the 19th-century photomechanical process. He investigates by looking at photographic documentation, history, chemistry, and design. He uses his research and experimentation as a tool for his expression.

 

Arpan has participated in several international and national-level exhibitions and workshops. He has given lectures and conducted numerous workshops on printmaking and photographic history. Before the pandemic, three different bodies of his works were showcased in the Chennai photo biennale, Kolkata international photo festival, Lisue photo festival, China, and Serendipity Arts Festival. A new body of work from a long-term project was exhibited last Oct at Aalliance France, New Delhi.  Recently, he has been engaged in research and printing modern albumen and salt prints from 19th-century archaeological photographs in collaboration with the British Library and CSMVS, Mumbai. These works were on display in CSMVS until May 2023.

Arpan has received BFA & MFA in printmaking and is presently teaching as an associate professor in printmaking Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. He co-founded Studio Goppo, a photography research studio at Santiniketan.