Exhibition
Reaching out for peace
Fayza Haq
Within the frame of our restless society, Anadi Kumar Boiragi tries to find peace and freedom. This was seen recently in his solo exhibition at Zoom Gallery at Alliance Francaise. He takes a lot of his motifs and colours from nature around him, as he feels that nature has much to teach. With this, Anadi combines spiritual abstraction, expressing his thoughts in symbols. "I take elements from folk art to express my spiritual feelings," Anadi says. All this he puts in his exhibition called "Quest for self-entity".Anadi painted as a child in Jessore, being inspired by SM Sultan. After studying in Khulna Art College, he joined the Institute of Fine Arts, DU, to complete his masters in Oriental Art. In his spare time, working with the Concord Group, he paints in his studio in Dhanmandi. Many people in the country believe in spiritual protection with talismans and good luck charms of cowries, says Anadi and these he puts in his paintings. He also brings in impressions of urban life making us aware once more of the concrete jungle that surrounds us. He also uses the symbol of the "gamchha" so that the viewer can identify with the subcontinental origin of his work. His style is modern but the forms he uses in them, such as the birds and the talismans, have their origin in the east. In one of the paintings we see cowries, medallions and talismans, handing against a backdrop of vermilion and sap green. Touches of black and white have gone into the work too. In "Mythical compostion-2" we see similar forms in indigo and gray against strips of black and brown, which go to delineate our beliefs in the mystical powers. This is acrylic on paper. In another painting the artist brings in black to symbolise sorrow, while the circles of yellow and orange stand for joy. The rectangular "gamchha", in vermilion, blue and black stands for typical Bangali life. Swirls of white and gray depict the theme of joy at childbirth. This is seen against an orange setting of the womb, which is outlined by black. In another composition we see three large fish along with leaves and flowers. Dots, scallops and lines are the added motifs. Metropolitan life along with symbols of more traditional existence, in the form of the multicoloured rectangular "gamchaha", are brought into another piece. The blacks and yellows bring in the elements of sorrows and joys of life. "Urban life-2" depicts birds sitting on electrical poles. They are seen against the setting of dilapidated buildings. Wheels of life in our mechanical existence are seen in another composition. Although experimental, Anadi's work drew crowds because of the buoyant colours and thought provoking motifs.
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Artwork by Anadi Kumar Boiragi |
