Meet the Kolkata artists who are sparking our imagination

Viraj Khanna, Artist

Mesmerized by the charming moments of everyday life, Viraj Khanna, son of designer Anamika Khanna, brings them to canvas through vivid hand-embroidered images. For his collages, the 30-year-old reflects on his never-ending quest for perfection. These become blueprints for his sculptures, inviting one to embrace imperfection with grace. There is no place as inspiring as Kolkata for Viraj. ‘There is such an eclectic mix of tradition and modernity here – from dazzling puja pandals to heritage architecture! It’s a city full of imagination, and our artisans have as much to teach you about life as they do about craft,” he says.

Ayushman Mitra, fashion designer and artist

With his postal name, Bobo, Ayushmann Mitra is celebrated for blending art and fashion in designs steeped in psychedelic fantasy. A painter since childhood, Bobo transforms his canvases into wearable art through his label, Bobo Calcutta. “The eyes you often see in my work are taken from Goddess Durga, along with other recurring motifs. She inspires me every day,” says the 36-year-old. For Bobo, Kolkata is both an inspiration and a beloved home. He says, “The city offers endless artistic energy with artisans whose hands move as if they are guided by God. What makes Kolkata unique is the harmony in which people of different religions live and create.”

Shreya Ghosh, Jewelery Designer

After spending 15 years in the fashion world of Mumbai, Shreya Ghosh returned to her roots in Kolkata’s New Alipore. There, he noticed the famous Joroa work of West Bengal – a unique blend of old British jewelery aesthetics and Indian craftsmanship – and felt the need for reinvention. Traditionally loved by Bengali brides for its golden vines, flowers, leaves and seed beads, joroa finds a bold, exotic expression in her label, Goddess of Glocal. “I wanted to marry Joroa with a modern aesthetic to make it relevant to the fashion-forward,” says the 36-year-old. For Shreya, the city’s greatest gift is its creative spirit. She says, “Right from childhood we are encouraged to paint, sing, sculpt and dance. This tapestry of artistic exploration is a blessing.”

Arka Patra, Photographer

A non-conformist in every sense, Arka Patra has created a visual language that is as deliberate as it is uncontrolled. Having trained as a mechanical engineer, he abandoned tradition to pursue photography. His lens subverts long-held notions with images that challenge and provoke. Arca’s work often draws inspiration from the Pre-Raphaelites, a 19th-century art movement marked by bright colors and minute details. “My vision is influenced by the socio-political and cultural landscape of Kolkata as well as the riverside city – historic Chandannagar, which has echoes of Indo-French architecture. I doubt I would ever have been able to bring the same authenticity to my work if I had lived anywhere else,” reflects the 31-year-old.

Monalisha Manna, Jewelery Designer

Monalisa Manna left her engineering career behind to follow her passion and launched silver jewelery label Arthaments. The 31-year-old celebrates the rich tribal culture of West Bengal through designs with a touch of modernity. ‘Growing up in Kolkata meant being surrounded by art in its purest form. “The colonial layers merging with Bengal’s own aesthetics shaped my world – be it heirloom jewelery or the streetscape of Kalighat,” she says. But above all, it is the women of Kolkata whom she loves the most. ”Fierce and fearless, she symbolizes the divine mother. Her strength, resilience and grace inspire every part,” she says.