If eyes are the windows of the soul, Sanat Kar’s paintings lay bare the artist’s psyche. Eyes have remained central to Kar’s artistic sensibilities — whether in the sparse lines of his pioneering wood intaglios or in the sprite-like figures that flit across his prints. This was evident, once again, in Prints and Prints, an exhibition of woodcuts, engravings, intaglio and lithographs by Kar organized by Debovasha recently.

Kar’s etchings as well as his lithographs and engravings are pervaded by a sense of isolation. Even when his signature one-dimensional, sprite-like beings are huddled together in lithographs, it is evident that they are friends who have forged a kinship born of despair. The spare, yet fluid, lines encasing the figures — in this show, they are mostly solitary — are spontaneous and bold, conveying Kar’s skills with the brush and with printmaking. When Kar does opt for intricate details, he achieves a marvellous effect by playing with negative space, cross-hatching and smudged earthy shades to create a mysterious and sullen atmosphere.