India’s First Art Rebels

“We wanted to commemorate the work by artists of the Calcutta Group. Incidentally,Ghosh and Dasgupta also studied under the same guru. So,to continue the guru-shishya tradition,we have showcased the work of Choudhury,who studied under Dasgupta,” says Reena Lath,who has curated the show along with Abhijit Lath,a fellow member of Akar Prakar. “To tie both exhibitions together,we have included a selection of mixed media that comprises old photographs from the Calcutta Group,pictures of the artists at work,and copies of their study notes and letters,” explains Lath.

Ghosh was said to have been responsive to the nuance of every blade of grass,only to depict it perfectly when he worked. While pointing to the paintings of Ajmer Fort and Madurai,drawn in the ’30s,Lath says that before forming the Calcutta Group,the artist’s work was more realistic. “It was later that he allowed himself to experiment,” she says. Through the use of colours such as red,orange and yellow,he painted trees with the leaves of fall,green pastures,a setting sun or scenes from the rural life. Then,the almost-meditative atmosphere is broken by a set of paintings that depict riots in the city,burning with the same colours.

While Ghosh painted nature,Dasgupta delved into human behaviour through his bronze sculptures. The most striking feature is the fluidity of thought that translated into his work. The Javanese Mother is a carved figure carrying a child on her back — the two figures moulding into one; Loopholes shows a figure bent in worry,forming a perfect oval; Hungry Family shows a gaunt-looking family with their stomachs carved out to show the emptiness. “Dasgupta was a towering presence in the art scene from 1940 till the ’90s,when he passed away,” says Lath.

Choudhury was greatly influenced by music and,through his sculptures,attempted to visually describe that inspiration. One can see the head sculptures of doyens such as Ustad Akbar Ali Khan,Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali and Siddeswari Devi,with a level of detailing that almost breathes life into the bronze creations.