Paresh Maity was born in 1965, Tamluk - a small town in West. While in school he made clay images of gods and goddesses and sold them to earn money for his education. He started painting watercolours of river scenes while still at school and then then oil painting thereafter. He mastered the technique of oil painting at Government College of Art, Kolkata. His single minded determination to acquire formal training paid off when he came to Delhi to join the Delhi College of Art. He has done series of works on almost all facets and destinations of India and then across the seas to London, Venice, China and Japan. He has painted them all. His works are in the collection at British Museum in London, Rubin Museum, New York, Commonwealth Institute, London, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata, Tata Iron & Steel Co. ITC, Oberoi Group of Hotels, Leela Hotels, Park Sheraton, RPG, Birla Group, Vatican Embassy, Noon Group, London and many other institutions and private collections all over the world. He lives and works out of Delhi.

My Teachers

Paresh Maity (Delhi)

Teacher, in any form, plays a major role. Their contribution to any student, however little, will stay with them for the entire life. If we see the Gurukul System in earlier days, we see a clear image of that.

For me it was a great lesson. My teachers, not only from Art College, but also my school teachers from Tamluk, are remembered till date.

We paid great attention to what our teachers spoke both during the class and outside the classroom as well.

During my time as a student at Government College of Art & Craft, Sri Ganesh Haloi, our very loving and respected Ganesh Babu was a master artist in many aspects. His gouache style of painting taught me major imagination in abstractions. Not only in college, but also whenever I got a chance to visit his house at Salt Lake or travelled to places together, he opened my vision for life and art. His water colour paintings are unique. I may not have seen him creating these water colour paintings in front of me, but his paintings were like a library to get a lesson from. It was unlimited learning.

It was always a major opportunity for me during our travel to Orissa and other places for outdoor study, drawing and sketching. Discussing all the time on art and life with him was a great inspiration, learning and encouragement for me.

Although my destiny brought me to Delhi, but the joy of remembering the time together with Ganesh Babu, in the college and also outside, is limitless till date.

2 September 2020
New Delhi