The striking colours and bold styles of Kalighat patachitra and Gond tribal art have caught the eye of visitors to CIMA Art Mela 2024.
The intricate works of Anwar Chitrakar and Swarna Chitrakar, award-winning patachitra artists, were admired by many. The images of Durga, Krishna, or Bengali babus on dark backgrounds were in striking contrast to the pointillism of Gond animals on white backgrounds next to them.
Visitors go through stacks of Kalighat patachitras
The Gond artworks were one of the top picks for artist Veena Bhargava and her friend Sunita Sevaramakrishna. “We were impressed by the works of R.M. Palaniappan, but patachitras from Kalighat, Odisha and Madhubani and Gond tribal, too, stood out,” said Bhargava, who especially enjoyed Swarna Chitrakar’s works.
Veena Bhargava and Sunita Sevaramakrishna observe the sculptures on display
Artist Veena Bhargava with her choice of Gond art; (right) Sunita Sevaramakrishna’s choice of patachitra
The popularity of Kalighat patachitras was also evident in the choice of Arnab Ghosh and Priyanka Datta, who picked up two paintings of colonial aristocratic Bengalis. Their interest in the art style was boosted by their affordability. Asked why they chose designs over paintings of deities, Ghosh told My Kolkata: “These are really contemporary subjects, and because they are non-religious, they are closer to real life.” The traditional aspect of the painting impressed them, and CIMA’s attention to such forms was what appealed to them.
Arnab Ghosh and Priyanka Datta with their choice of Kalighat patachitras
Ananya Sonthalia, an “amateur collector” as she called herself, chose two of Subir Dey’s works for herself — one of Ganesh and another of Durga seated atop her lion. According to her, she had a hard time picking just the two. She chose the painting of Durga as “it is a rare painting of her that isn’t wild, but is calm and peaceful”.
Subir Dey’s painting of Durga
The evening also saw many viewers praising the watercolour works of Prodosh Paul, which dabble in realism. One visitor described the scenes in the paintings as photographic. The subject of Paul’s paintings is largely the bright rural landscape, and brings to life the blend of nature and the manmade.
A display of some of Prodosh Paul’s works
Curator Rakhi Sarkar’s vision with CIMA Art Mela is to take artworks from the private archives of the elite to the rooms of the ordinary collectors. The artworks being picked up one after the other on Saturday evening proved the venture a success.
The evening saw visitors of all ages, from a little girl accompanying her parents to an elderly woman slowly walking through the displays and telling her daughter how beautiful each work was.
Visitors observing Expressionist artworks
Apart from the paintings, a section of the Art Mela is dedicated to various sculptures. The works of artists Bimal Kundu, Shyamal Roy, and Partha Dasgupta are featured here, with each artist’s style standing out. Roy’s bright rust-coloured terracotta busts sit beside Dasgupta’s almost-Cubist take on the faces of Kali and Durga.
Sculptures on display
CIMA has also arranged for a food stall set up by the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy. Opening in the evening, these stalls serve various sweet and savoury items along with coffee. The organisation’s efforts go to help individuals of all ages who suffer from neuro motor and developmental disabilities.
With just one day to go, CIMA Art Mela 2024 has a variety of affordable works by Indian artists. Visitors are also provided information on artists and their art processes by the staff members, which makes the experience of collecting art even more special.
Art Mela 2024 is on till November 24, 11am to 8pm, at CIMA Gallery (43, Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue, Sunny Towers, 2nd Floor, Kolkata - 700019).