The Faculty of Fine Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara reopened Friday morning under a pall of gloom, mourning the loss of 22-year-old Kajal Chaudhary, a masters' student of painting who had died, allegedly of electrocution, while working on a project in the studio on the campus on Monday afternoon. At the memorial meet held in the faculty auditorium, friends and teachers remained inconsolable – and shocked. It was an ordinary Monday afternoon when Chaudhary set out to de-starch her canvas in the studio using a technique she had recently learnt. Ambika Patel, Dean of the Faculty, told The Indian Express, “It was raining that day and she was working close to the terrace area of the studio where she had pulled out an extension board for an electric plug and connected the heating coil to destarch the canvas. Usually, the students soak the canvas overnight in water but it is possible that she wanted to hasten the process. She had recently visited New Delhi and learnt a new process of dyeing the canvas and it is likely that she was working on one of her new projects accordingly. She had brought the heating coil on her own.” Two other students, working in the same space, saw Chaudhary “falling to the ground” after hearing a sound, says Patel. “They alerted the faculty but by the time she was rushed to the Narhari hospital (about 1 kilometre away) in the Fatehgunj area, she was declared dead on arrival.” Patel added. Famed for its traditional garba, the faculty called off the celebration that evening and cancelled all other Navratri-related events, including the Dussehra puja. In a social media post, the faculty had announced that it would remain closed on October 1. With October 2 being a non-working day on account of Gandhi Jayanti, the faculty resumed work on Friday. 'Had a lot of dedication towards her art' Chaudhary, who hailed from Valsad, had completed her four-year undergraduate course from MSU before enrolling in the same varsity for her Masters. An Accidental Death report was lodged at the Sayajigunj Police Station after her demise. Her coursemate tells The Indian Express, “Kajal had a lot of dedication towards her art. She was a quiet observer and loved stillness in frames as much as she loved connecting with people. She spoke about permanence in a natural pause as well as quiet contemplation of life's mundane chores. She went by the profile name of 'thin lines' on Instagram because depicting the balance or imbalance was her visual subject. Just about 10 days before this incident, we had clicked pictures in the faculty with our entire batch. She was at the center, surrounded by all of us. We did not imagine it was going to be our last.” Says Dean Patel, “She was a very talented artist, and a very good child. She had won four awards and had also established connections with other artists. It has been unfortunate and painful to lose a bright student and artist like her. I remember talking to her casually about her work just a couple of weeks back. and then knowing that she is not around is difficult to accept.” Chaudhary's works manifested a fragile blend of intimate and distant. Through overlapping figures on deeply pigmented canvas, layering and quiet repetitions, she created art that brought out the invisible emotional exchange that defines human relationships — presence and absence, connection and solitude as well as the hazy boundary of inner sense and outward appearance, according to those who had observed her work. Even as her alma mater mourns, the Art and Charlie gallery in Mumbai's Bandra is still hosting a group show featuring three artists, including Chaudhary, whose works are on display until October 31. In the show titled: 'She carries the quiet', the gallery describes one of Chaudhary's untitled paintings as, “Kajal’s practice ultimately reflects a pursuit of tenderness within distance: a way of giving form to the invisible emotional exchanges that define human relationships. Her works invite viewers to linger, to notice, and to inhabit that fragile space between presence and absence, connection and solitude.” Patel says Chaudhary's friends and batchmates are traumatised and will undergo counselling by the university's psychology department on Saturday. On Friday, MSU announced “immediate and decisive steps to strengthen safety and precautionary measures on campus” with Vice Chancellor BM Bhanage constituting a High-Power Committee with the mandate to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and suggest immediate as well as long-term preventive measures to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff across the University. The Committee, chaired by Professor Bhavna Mehta of the Faculty of Social Work as Convener, includes eminent Deans, senior faculty members, and administrative leaders of the University, including Patel. “The Committee has been entrusted with the responsibility to review existing practices, identify gaps, and recommend comprehensive protocols for the safety of the university community. It will also explore awareness and counselling measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” the university said in a statement. The convener has been authorised to invite any additional experts or stakeholders to the meetings as needed. The Committee will submit its detailed report within seven days.
