Pallov Saikia

"I have a background in painting and photographs are a means to document things which I later use as reference for my paintings. But later I realize some of the photographs go beyond the purpose of documentation, either consciously or unconsciously. It is the same entity, the same soul that my paintings usually have. And I feel it cannot be translated into painting and there is also no need to do so. Being an insider in Rahmaria, the village I was born and brought up in, I have always felt the urge to work in this very place and its people. And finally, in 2017, the project starts in Rahmaria, situated in Upper Assam in the North-Eastern part of India. I am working on the history of the people, place, culture and various changes in society through video, audio, painting, photography, drawing and writing. And these photographs are part of this project."

Pallov Saikia obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Painting from Government College of Art and Crafts, Guwahati, Assam (2012) and a Master’s Degree from S. N. School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad (2016). He is one of the active members of ANGA Art Collective, Assam and has developed several interactive public art projects, such as Seed (2012), Public Toilet (2012), among others. His work was featured in the Student’s Biennale 2016 as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kerala. His most recent participation was in the group exhibition Blurred Perimeter at Bihar Museum (2019).