Social media has changed the lives of many, be it Ranu Mondal or the Kancha Badam man Bhuban Badyakar. But Sunil Pal, 80, who sells paintings and hand-painted flower vases at Golpark, remains relatively unknown after a photograph of him with his painting was shared repeatedly on Facebook soon after the first lockdown had eased out.
My Kolkata tracked down Pal at his north Kolkata home to know more about him...
(Left) Sunil Pal at his north Kolkata home and (right) the photograph of the street artist at Golpark that was shared multiple times on social media during the lockdown Amit Datta, Facebook
The unknown artist on Facebook
After the first lockdown in 2020 was over, a Facebook post featuring an elderly person dressed in a simple white shirt with a hearing aid dangling from his left ear and holding a painting of Shakuntala and Dushyant with a fawn was shared multiple times. The post came with an appeal to buy the artist’s paintings and netizens were surprised to know that the art pieces were priced at as little as Rs 70.
That was Sunil Pal, who had been selling paintings and hand-painted vases, at Golpark for the past few years till the pandemic-induced lockdown changed things.
Pal does not have any presence on social media and had no idea he was creating a storm on Facebook. “People in my locality told me about it. I don’t understand how all this functions. But they say that people appreciated my work and looked for me. A few young people had also come to my house,” he said.
As days passed by and the lockdown regime eased, people who looked for him at his usual spot, in front of a private bank at Golpark, often couldn’t find him. Some of them put up social media posts asking about his whereabouts. “In between, I was not keeping well. I might have skipped a few days, but I try to go there every day,” said Pal, who earlier worked as an usher at Chhabighar theatre on Mahatma Gandhi Road.
Pal sells paintings, handpainted flower vases and incense stick stands Jaismita Alexander
Self-taught artist
Pal’s paintings and flower vases are all themed on Indian motifs. Baul, Shakuntala, Radha-Krishna and dance postures are some of the oft-repeated subjects of his paintings.
He has never taken lessons in painting, but picked it up by watching another artist at work. “I came across a street artist in Maniktala. I spent hours just observing him. He did not teach me and neither did I ask him to. I only observed him minutely. He used to paint on Bhadua silk and send it to Santiniketan.”
Pal uses black Bhadua silk to cover hard pitch boards and paints on them. He uses poster colours mixed with white acrylic paint.
His paintings come in two sizes — small and large. The smaller ones are priced at Rs 70 while the larger ones range between Rs 150 and 180. Pal's vases for artificial flowers cost Rs 70. He uses the same fabric as the medium and puts a plastic film around it to protect the paint.
Pal working on the small paintings that cost Rs 70 only Amit Datta
A few months ago, he also started painting on clay dhoopdanis (incense stick stands). “These cost only for Rs 20. I get them made by someone else while I do the painting,” Pal said.
Asked about the low price tags, the street artist said: “What to do? People won’t buy if they are costly. I also want my creations to be affordable. So, I fix the price a little higher than the cost price. I don't need to invest much. The paint and cloth pieces I buy last for some time.” Pal buys his art materials from Burrabazar.
Daily struggle
The octogenarian can be seen hunched over his artwork, adding minute strokes, in his little room in a narrow alley near Blackquire Square Park in Darjipara, north Kolkata, where he lives with his differently abled son.
Pal’s vision is poor and he can only paint during the day. Hard of hearing, Pal uses a hearing aid which no longer works properly.
Sunil Pal at work Amit Datta
On most evenings, Pal takes bus no. 205 from Sovabazar to Golpark. “There are days when there's no business and some days, I sell three to four items."
Pal’s demands are few. He just wants enough to feed himself and his son. “I am all by myself with one of my sons. We get food from an eatery. Who will cook? My wife passed away a few years back and we don’t have the time to go to the market or cook.”
Neighbours said two of Pal’s sons are well-educated and well-off, but they don’t look after Pal or their brother. Another son passed away recently.
During the lockdown, Pal and his son were looked after by the local councillor and neighbours. “It was a difficult time. I had no business. A good Samaritan had offered help. He handed over my paintings and vases to self-help groups who sold them at Hasta Shilpa Mela in 2021,” Pal said.
