Complementary style

An exhibition of bronzes by Sunanda and Tapan Kumar Das, held last week at the Academy of Fine Arts, included fine specimens of the duo’s innovative, 3-D creations. Although trained at the Kala Bhavan (Santiniketan) and the Government College of Art respectively, the two sculptors have, over years, come to share each other’s style in a complementary manner. Their stylistic differences notwithstanding, the common quality they share is the elongated designing of the torsos, both male and female, embellished by a touch of artistic disproportion. Sunanda is given more to highlighting the typical traits of feminine gestures, as exemplified by the pieces titled Amazon and Waiting while her other impressive works include Zamindar, a mixed metaphor of virility and languor. Tapan’s solidly modelled figures evoke a masculine choreographic posture.

Samir Dasgupta

Ecstasy of rhythm

Srijanseel Laharee Kala Kendra presented a colourful evening with recitation, dance and music in their annual programme, ‘Sundara Barane’ (Madhusudan Mancha, June 1). Madhumita Basu’s soulful recitation in her well-modulated voice was both gentle and sensitive. Young dancers of the institution performed with spontaneous zeal. A simple composition of Phule phule dhole dhole and the rhythmic pattern of Mama chitte niti nritye enthralled the audience. Director and choreographer Paramita Chakraborti revealed the ecstasy of rhythm and supple body movements in her modern dance choreography.

Sharmila Basu Thakur

Power, not mere skill

Although young Sumana Ghosh received guidance from a number of less-known but talented artists, her offerings at the Academy of Fine Arts (May 30-June 5) seem to be effusive of her visual expressiveness which has its origin in her gentle introvertedness. Whether an artist relies more on colour or on line, his or her search for a significant expressive idiom or form must of necessity be guided by percipience, a power that is different from acquired technical skills. Ghosh exudes this quality of the sensitive mind she is endowed with. On view are the works of two kinds: the ones that are strong on explicit drawing (Twittering Birds), and the other aspiring to be full-blown paintings (Together Under a Blue Umbrella). All the creations are in one way or another suggestive of the phenomenon of ‘togetherness’.

SDG