The primitive humans and toiling masses he chose to depict in his work, the impasto and the bold brush strokes are all indicators of the Leftist ideology that motivated Rabin Mondal (1929-2019) as an artist with a social commitment. Mondal's intention was to create a rough-hewn image. At Galerie 88’s exhibition, Deep Scratches: Rabin Mondal — Works ranging from 1972-2017 (December 23, 2023-January 31, 2024), apart from this artist’s familiar visages carved out as if from rock, the power of his brushstrokes brought to life some compositions with warm and bright reds, browns and yellows that countered the prevailing gloom of Mondal’s more well-known works.

There is a white vase, for instance, with a bouquet of pinkish flowers in it (picture, left). The background is grey-blue with yellow and red polka dots. The vase stands on a dull grey cloth with red stripes. It is a cheerful composition by this artist’s bleak standards. One outstanding and expressive composition was a visage that came close to a mask with its uneven contours. It traced the outline of the face from the hairline and stretched up to the chin. With huge liquid eyes, hammer-like nose and distorted mouth, it was a study in melancholy. In gold and brown and with touches of mauve, the face reminded one of Abanindranath Tagore’s masks without the humour.

There is another study of a youngster with an oval face created with a broad black border and modelled with hasty strokes of the brush and spatula. Another piece that caught the eye was that of a totem-like figure with black plumage against a tomato red background. A bejewelled young woman casts a sidelong glance; a white bird flutters its wings; the dirty yellow doll looks anything but lovable. One of the most powerful paintings in this show is Rabin Mondal’s self-portrait in muddy colours (picture, right). The artist is immersed in his thoughts. Defining his own face with quick stabs of his brush, the artist’s brutal candour is remarkable.