If one were to think of a photograph of Ramkinkar Baij, nary would one come to mind where the sculptor was not animated. One of the pioneers of modern Indian sculpture, Baij created art spontaneously, driven by intuition and energy, and disregarding the artistic standards of Santiniketan. This energy was almost always reflected on his face. It is thus apt that Ramananda Bandopadhyay’s pen and ink sketch of Baij at Debovasha’s annual Ramkinkar Utsab captures this ‘tej’ perfectly with the brevity of lines that is Bandopadhyay’s signature.

This year’s Ramkinkar Utsab was unique in that several artists presented their perspectives on Baij through portraits of the master. Jogen Chowdhury’s densely-hatched mixed-media shows Baij to be a shadowy figure with several shades to him. Many of these shades were visible in the other portraits at the exhibition. The one by Ganesh Haloi was perhaps the most poignant and rare — Baij does not dominate the canvas but rather is dwarfed by it, the charcoal sketch catches the sculptor in a reflective moment, taking in the vastness around him (picture).

Pradip Rakshit recreates what is perhaps Baij’s most iconic photograph: the artist staring right at the viewer, his eyes wide open. Rakshit succeeds in capturing the sharpness of Baij’s gaze perfectly. Sushobhan Adhikary’s mixed-media on terracotta plate shows Baij’s playful smile, while Atin Basak’s etching on paper has the same smoothness and tactile quality as Baij’s sculptures. Krishnendu Chaki encapsulates Baij’s inquisitive spirit in the sure lines of his charcoal sketch.

One quibble with the otherwise impressive show concerns the missing labels with the names of artists. While it is true that those familiar with individual styles and signatures would recognise the portraits immediately, what about the uninitiated?