Connecting the Dots

In an effort to put folk art on an international map, Chittagong-based Santaran Art Organisation is organising the first edition of Karnaphuli Folk Triennial, a festival that honours folk art in the Indian subcontinent. In Bangladesh, folk expressions take the form of alpana or rikshaw applique art, while Nepal’s thanka tradition is one of the earliest known forms. In India, indigenous forms are deeply rooted in the traditions of madhubani or patachitra, among others.

The festival, which will have 60 works from 15 artists across India, Bangladesh and Nepal, will be held in Chittagong and Dhaka between September 6 and 8. Festival curator Monjur Ahmed says, “Folk and traditional arts of South Asia are interlinked. It is in the living, thinking and social relations, as well as mythology and religious beliefs of the people of this region, that the similarities lie.” From India, Madhubani form will be represented by artists Babita Sah and Bimola Devi, while patachitra art from Medinipur will be highlighted through the works of Manimala Chitrakar, Anwar Chitrakar and Bishnupada Chitrakar.

Express Features Service