National Gallery of Modern Art celebrates the 125th birth anniversary of the legendary artist, by featuring around 200 of his works. Curator Ella Datta chats with Karan Bhardwaj about his life and times
An imposing blacksmith figure with a hammer becomes a powerful representation of the hardships and dignity involved in the profession. Another exhibit titled Blue Boy depicts a young figure painted against a village background. There are miniature huts and the boy represents lord Krishna.
In another piece, Mother Mary holds Christ in her lap with worshippers around, reflecting the selfless love and mother-child relationship.
Jamini Roy’s (1887-1972) body of work has variety and diversity. His career spans nearly six decades and had many significant turning points. An exhibition, Jamini Roy (1887-1972): Journey to the Roots, will be inaugurated today at the National Gallery of Modern Art.
It marks the 125th birth anniversary of Roy and brings together nearly 200 of his artworks. He was born on April 11 in 1887.
The show features paintings, sculptures, drawings and sketches. Curated by Ella Datta, the bulk of these exhibits belong to the in-house collection of the gallery.
Some works are borrowed from Bengaluru-based collector Abhishek Poddar and Delhi-based artist A Ramachandaran.
“Roy sought inspiration from sources as diverse as East Asian calligraphy, terracotta temple friezes, objects from folk arts and crafts traditions. From 1920 onwards, he brought a kind of joy and élan to the depiction of village scenes and people, reflecting the innocence of his childhood upbringing in the rural environment of Beliatore village in Bankura district of West Bengal,” said curator Ella Datta.
Way back in 1920s, the artist had rejected existing styles of art. At 16, he was sent to study at the Government School of Art in Calcutta. “He was taught to paint in the prevailing academic tradition, drawing classical nudes and painting in oils. There was an art school run by Britishers which fostered European naturalism. However, Jamini felt he had to explore his own language, so he rejected existing styles and what he had been academically taught. To register his personal style, he used folk life where he was grown up,” said Datta.
In early interviews, Roy had expressed dissatisfaction, saying he was only doing portraits by commission. During the day he would paint. In the evening, he would scratch the work out, unhappy with what he was doing. “I cannot paint like Ajanta, the Persians and the Mughals, because I don’t belong to that time and mindset. I can only paint what I know intimately,” the artist had said.
Roy worked on Kalighat Pat, a style of art in Bengal with bold sweeping brush-strokes. Between 1921-1924, he also painted Santal artists, particularly women. These sensuous figures were engaged in daily chores amongst village settings.
The curator believes that younger generation artists must come and “experience” the master’s works.
“He would always create simple figures and forms that were completely engrossing. I am sure new-age artist could learn a lot. The artist represented an important part of modern Indian art. He had strong control over brush and lines. And there was brilliant use of colours,” she said.
The display at the gallery has been organised thematically, with portraits, landscapes, copies of European Masters; suite of paintings featuring Santals; calligraphic brush paintings; village community; mother and child; birds and beasts; epics, myths and folk cults; Krishna-leela; life of Christ; sculptures; drawings and sketches.
“The exhibition co0076ers most of his style. I like the Christ series. It has rigid poses in a melancholy mood. He invested more in them… a certain tenderness. The fact he was painting a story, has a lot of connectivity. They are lyrical in mood and invoke idyllic settings,” said Datta.
