29th January 2016, Friday
Gyaan Adab Centre and its many visitors engaged on a relaxing Thursday afternoon, taking part in a Bengal painting workshop by Patua artist Suman Chitrakar.
The workshop began with a small introductory session by Suman and his wife Rupsona, explaining the history of Bengal Pattachitra. Once participants were familiar with the stories, a live performance of ‘Pater Gaan’ (one or two songs/ ballads) was presented. The storytelling and singing helped participants create new stories and turn them into performances, thereby instilling in them the confidence to create and continue the performative aspect of Bengal painting’s tradition.
Suman Chitrakar is a young Patua artist from West Bengal. He started painting nine years ago at the age of twenty with his mentor Jagdevji. Suman carries the lineage of ‘folk’ artists who paint long, vertical scrolls and compose verses. He has conducted workshops on Bengal Pattachitra in Delhi with the Happy Hands Foundation, in Kolkata with Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (an organization under Ministry of Culture), a workshop organized at the Victoria Memorial Hall and in Goa with the Kala Academy.
