Painting Between the Lines

The year was 1941. While the Indian freedom movement was at its peak,in Kolkata,a frail Rabindranath Tagore was penning his last few poems.

Paresh Maity interprets the poems of Rabindranath Tagore through watercolour

The year was 1941. While the Indian freedom movement was at its peak,in Kolkata,a frail Rabindranath Tagore was penning his last few poems. These were published in 1973,under the title Shesh Lekha and were translated into English by poet and activist Pritish Nandy. Now,the Nobel Laureates last words have been interpreted once again,this time by artist Paresh Maity. An exhibition of the works opened at the NGMA on Wednesday.

We had the idea for the exhibition in January this year,after Pritish suggested that I go through the poems. He wanted me to translate the deep words in my watercolours, says Maity,a mid-career artist,well-known for his bold strokes and towering sculptures. Nandy,on his part,recalls his long relationship with Tagore: In the 40 years since I have translated the poems,I still look at them for solace and courage, he said.

Among the exhibits is Forts of the Moonless Night,inspired by the poem,There Comes the man Supreme. In this work,a fort stands magnificently on a hilltop as the sky darkens and the sun sets in the horizon. Another painting,The Raga of Spring,offers Maitys interpretation of the poem,In the Fifth Year of Marriage,through trees bursting with orange buds. The exhibition has been organised by Art Alive Gallery,and will travel to Mumbai and Kolkata.

Tagores poems are fascinating and timeless. I have grown up studying his work, says Maity. Present on the opening day were Minister of Culture,Kumari Selja; secretary,Ministry of Culture,Jawhar Sircar; NGMA director Rajeev Lochan and artists like Jatin Das,Gopi Gajwani,Sanjay Bhattacharya and Madhvi and Manu Parekh.

The exhibition is on till Aug 28

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