The audacity of hope

With a Diploma in Fine Arts from Government College of Art and Craft,Calcutta,Kundu started out as a teacher at a school for the deaf and dumb. His creative psyche was scarred by stories from the Bengal famine in 1943 and the war,and the result was pen-and-ink sketches of deeply anguished,frail and brooding figures. Undoubtedly marvelous,his works do carry the sinister shadows of a deeply disturbed mind. Later,Kundu put up a few solo shows in Kolkata,that got him much attention and appreciation.

Till 1966. “It was the year that he went absconding,leaving behind his wife and son. No one knows where he is or what happened that made him abandon everything and go away suddenly,” says Corda.

Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art still displays three of Kundu’s paintings. But Corda’s collection of 50 of his paintings represents the best that remains of Kundu’s legacy. These pieces,along with the works of other Indian modern artists,are on display from August 1 to 13 at Bavaria Motors,BMW Showroom,Camp.

Talking about Kundu,Corda says: “His paintings are very interesting. At the first glance,they may look like regular canvases,but if you look at his works through a magnifying lens,the detailing with pen and ink is visible – each stroke is so clear and perfectly calculated.”

And how did the show come about? “I was very impressed when I stumbled upon one of his paintings. I saw his signature at the bottom of the painting and researched about it on the Internet. It was then that I found out about his mysterious history and decided to put up a show of his paintings. I have a vague hope that he might get to know of the exhibition and come back from wherever he is. And if that doesn’t happen,at least the art lovers from Pune will get to know of a talented artist.”