Skip to main content

#banglanatak dot com & #biswabangla presents #Patachitra & #WoodenMask artists in #UK at #GodsandDemons in #London, #Edinburgh & #Glasgow

West Bengal government’s initiative Biswa Bangla in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and London's Nehru Centre showcased the exhibition titled ‘Gods & Demons’ from May 3-15, 2016 at London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Nirmalya Roy our Project Coordinator, Rural Craft Hub along with two folk artists namely Shankar Das and Suman Chitrakar belonging to Wooden Mask and Patachitra art form respectively participated in the exhibition. The exhibition attracted members of the British-Indian community as well as an eclectic mix of international craft patrons and a diverse audience from the art world. The ‘Gods & Demons’ exhibition focused on the making and rich history of the Masks of Bengal and the visual storytelling form of Patachitra. 


The exhibitions were showcased at the Nehru Centre, London, the Edinburgh Museum, and the Southside Fringe Festival in Glasgow. The most exciting part of the show was the live demonstrations by Shankar Das and Suman Chitrakar. Through these demonstrations, students, children, artists and art lovers got deeply involved in the process and interacted with the makers, thus preserving the traditions and rich cultural heritage of West Bengal.



In fact, Shankar Das’s excitement was evident when he said that” It was an enriching experience. I was surprised that we got to eat Indian food in London. It made me feel at home. Edinburgh is beautiful but, I enjoyed exhibiting at Nehru Center, London and Glasgow the most. People were so nice and took so much interest in our tradition.” Further Shankar realized the importance of carrying small masks and it is evident when he said that “I also feel for any such foreign trips, we should avoid big and demonic masks. We should take more of 3-6 inches masks which will be easier to carry and sell".

Suman Chitrakar was awestruck by the respect and appreciation for Indian art in London. His feelings were articulated when he expressed his feelings that “"I loved the atmosphere and ambiance of London. People there have a lot of respect and appreciation for Indian art. The people who attended our workshops and exhibitions were so eager to learn about our tradition and were so appreciative. Some people bought our crafts. I feel it was a good promotion. It was my first ever foreign trip and I loved their disciplined way of life. It was a wonderful experience for me”.


Dignitaries like Director of Nehru Centre, Deputy High Commissioner, attended the exhibition.



Nirmalya Roy, Project Coordinator, Rural Craft Hub, banglanatak dot com observed that the participants in the demonstration workshop shared whatever information they could gather with the two artists. Suman Chitrakar instantly struck a chord with children who tried their hands on learning Patachitra. Nirmalya further hoped that the artists have returned with fond memories and felt that it was a good opportunity created by Biswa Bangla. He was also optimistic that ‘any such future event selling opportunities should also be explored’. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Local Marvel to Global Stage: The Journey of Chhau Dance Artists from Purulia to Ostrava

Nestled in the heart of Ostrava City, Czech Republic, the Art and Life Festival v ulicích is an international multi-genre extravaganza that has been captivating audiences for over eleven years. Drawing more than 40,000 visitors each year, this festival is a melting pot of global artistry, featuring a rich and diverse program. From the infectious beats of jamming musicians and the captivating allure of street theatre to the rhythmic energy of drum parades and the wonder of science shows, there's something for everyone. A Cross-Cultural Partnership Begins The collaboration between banglanatak dot com and Colours of Ostrava began in 2018, when Petra Hradilová, Managing Director of Festival v ulicích, Ostrava, and Zlata Holušová, Managing Director of Colours of Ostrava, attended the “Surjahan” World Peace Music Festival in Kolkata, organized by banglanatak dot com. In 2019, Raibenshe dancers, including two women performers, were invited to showcase their vibrant performance at the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Waste to Wealth: Towards a Greener Tomorrow

Reflecting on our impactful workshop on waste management and regenerative agriculture. The workshop titled ‘Waste to Wealth’ took place at IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) Kolkata, Kalyani Campus in collaboration with RISE, IISER and Contact Base (trading style: banglanatak dot com). Esteemed speakers like Mr. Imteyaz Ali, Managing Director of Sarthak Sanstha, Mr. Suman Mukhopadhyay Director, Contact Base, Mr. Saumya Sen of Naandi Foundation shed light on how regenerative agriculture and innovative waste management practices can spur new entrepreneurial ventures that promote environmental sustainability by creating circular economies, reducing waste, and enhancing soil health for future generations. People from diverse sectors including corporates, small-scale entrepreneurs, district administration, and academic experts attended the workshop. Participants learned innovative techniques for reducing waste and enhancing soil health, promoting a more ecologica...
Post a Comment
Read more

Skills4Productivity: A guide to 21st century skills

  The changing nature of work where more focus is given on acquiring specific variety of skills, including knowing certain technical tools, life skills, negotiation skills etc., dialogues on how to equip workers on up skilling and re-skilling becomes important. Students often face the problem of entering the work-force not knowing what the essential skill one need to know is. Studies have shown that even after joining workplace, it is difficult to cope up with work for some employees, hence recruiters nowadays provide on job skilling training or orientation programmes for the new-comers. Competency in this context becomes a key requirement, wherein an employer expects workers to bring with them some basic working skills apart from the particular sector specific expertise one has. Apart from professional hands-on training, knowing basic life skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, growth-mind set etc. becomes crucial to learn.   Before moving further let ...
Post a Comment
Read more