The group show by nine Bengali artists at Chitrakala Parishath is a show stealer. Expecting very little, I landed at the gallery to be treated t o some exemplary pieces of art created by these artists.It’s not just the mere colourful canvases that catch your eye, it’s the brilliantly thought out concepts behind the works that make your jaw drop. Adding to the sumptuous feast are some breathtakingly extraordinary sculptures by artist Sudipta Ghosh.
Every sculpture has a story and narrative to it which relates to the mundane world today. A chance conversation with the artist and speaking about one of the works — a silicon baby sleeping on a laptop, titled Victim, a the standout piece, reminiscent of legendary sculptor Ron Muek’s works, the artist explained, “We all are victimising mankind by the excessive reliance on gadgets and the baby in the sculpture is seen sleeping on the laptop considering it a mother’s lap. Not saying that it’s good or bad, but just that it is the state of affairs currently in mankind.”
Speaking of his Lantern sculpture, carefully carved with childhood memories of the artist etched onto its surface, the Lantern also has a tick-tock clock of music in the background that makes it an enigmatic combination of a well crafted sculpture and audio to trace his past which evokes nostalgia.
Another artist at the showing, Tanmoy Roy Chowdhury’s works exude awesomeness from the word go. He has used vibrant fluorescent colours to give the paintings a feel and sense of heaven and hell. The dreamy paintings signify how a human being, right from the womb till his death toils and is riddled in turmoil, in this world of expectations, greed and power. Through his paintings, he tries to show the journey of a soul from this world to the netherworld, and it has used objects like nails and pins to depict hell on earth. His deft and immaculate use of different mediums other than paint, makes the paintings a standout in the show. His artworks show a sense of maturity and immense creativity.
Subra Ranjan Das, another artist has used metaphors of famous paintings like the Scream and Vincent Van Goghs Starry Night, and has co-related it to his current life which involves a lot of struggle and making peace with himself. One of the paintings sees him riding a bike in the backdrop of The Starry Night. Carefully rendered textures, mindboggling concepts and a juxtaposition of different mediums added with incredible creativity and the Bengal art flavour, makes this exhibition a must-see even for the random art lover.
— The exhibition is on till the April 17 at the Chitrakala Parisath.
The writer is an artiste and curator.
