Senior artist Ganesh Haloi’s new show in Delhi

Kolkata based Ganesh Haloi is one of those artists deeply scarred by the wounds of partition. His early works did reflect the disturbance and disruption of witnessing his homeland being torn physically by dividing lines.

One can still notice some of those lines that run across his attention grabbing gauche-on-paper works. The poignancy of his experience has faded though. The colors also appear to convey a more cheery mood. The septuagenarian artist has come up with a new series of work. The show takes place at Gallery Art Motif in New Delhi.

Born in 1936, the veteran artist studied at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata. He has received several honors, including the Rabindra Bharati Award (1970) and the Shiromani Puraskar (1990). His work is represented in several public and private collections in India and abroad.

On the eve of his show, he has been quoted as saying: “One can never forget or get separated from the associations or imprints of childhood. I’ve been displaced from my realm and surroundings. However, my homeland’s memories are seared in my memory.”
He used to live near the bewildering Brahmaputra. The lovely landscapes and magnificent marshes made a big impression on his tender young mind before he traveled to Kolkata in 1950.

After completing his graduation, he launched his career as an artist in 1956. Replicating the Ajanta Murals for the National Museum collection, while working for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sharpened his artistic skills and inspired his oeuvre. His early work reflected some of the influences of those magnificent murals.

Works in the latest series has been done over the last three years. It comprises gauche-on-paper works (35 x 31” to 16 x 18”). The surface is layered in colors like vibrant greens, yellows, earthy browns and reds apart from textured whites as well as inky blues. Summing up his new exhibition, the artist quips that he is striving to capture the emotions behind the form, in an effort to tap into the abstract feeling that the shape would evoke.

(Image courtesy: Art Motif, Delhi)