Ahead of his exhibition at the India International Centre, patachitra artist Sajan Chitrakar tells Shrabasti Mallik about the intricate process of preparing the pata or cloth and how he still prefers to paint stories from our epics and mythologies
As an art form, patachitra can be traced back to the time when the Puri Jagannath temple was constructed. Back then, the art narrated stories of epics, mythologies and of divine characters. Easy as the depiction may sound, the hard work and intricacy that goes into producing a fine piece ofpatachitra is complicated, if not intricate.
Well, to begin with, the pata or the cloth has to be treated carefully. The painting or chitra is made on the cloth and that is where the art form derives its name. Normally one story is done in one piece of cloth but if the painter wishes to make a lengthy scroll of patuas he will keep adding to the original drawing piece. “At times they are sewn together, instead of pasting. Sewing provides support to the scrolls as compared to pasting them with markin cloth or sarees at the back,” said patachitra artist Sajan Chitrakar from Midnapur district in West Bengal.
If history is to be believed then the art originated in the village of Raghurajpur, where it still continues to flourish as their sole source of income. There, the paintings are done on beetel nuts, coconuts and even sal leaves. The theme and depictions, however, remain the same.
Being brought up in a family of chitrakars, Sajan’s first tryst with a paint brush was when he was a toddler. “It is a family tradition and I am the seventh generation practicing this art,” he said before his exhibit at the India International Centre.
Although he prefers to stick to the depiction of myths and epics, much like his forefathers, he realised that he mad to depict contemporary subjects in the artworks as well. “Over the years we have depicted new issues — social and natural. like we painted the tsunami and the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. We also highlighted the issue of female foeticide and the cause of HIV, torture of women for dowry through our art,” he pointed out. The more traditional depictions, however, are episodes from Mahabharat and Ramayana and also mythological stories of Behula lakhindar, Mansa Mangal, Chandi Mangal, Dhanapati saudagar and stories of Raja Harishchandra and Rabindranath.
What would interest an art enthusiast that even in a time of chemical colours, this family of artisans choose to make, or rather yield, their own colours — naturally. The black is derived from soot left over from a burning lamp or diya, while the yellow is extracted from turmeric (a dull shade of the colour is collected from elamati). They sometimes get white by grinding conch shells or from khari maati. “Since the colours are all natural, they are not glossy and very bright but they brighten up the entire painting. But if we are painting on clothes then we have to use colours that are available in the market because natural colours do not last for long if it is constantly being washed and used,” he explained.
We asked him about this traditional art form and whether of not there are takers in this field. He smiled and told us that both his son and daughter have not only taken up the craft but are pursuing it alongside their formal education. “In fact my entire family (which includes his nephews, nieces, uncles and aunts) paints. It is in our blood, we cannot do without it,” he said.
Over the years he has seen the acceptance of patachitra has increased and people have stared to take interest in the art and the process. “Earlier we used to go from door to door selling out art and telling everyone about it but now that is not that case. Now conditions have improved and people are taking genuine interest in it,” he said.
