Artists espousing the cause of freedom

Tracking the liberating Canvas in context of the theme of ‘art and freedom’, Ashoke Nag of the ET Bureau had talked to several leading Indian artists last year. Here is what they had to say:

Litterateurs and artists have all assiduously worked for freedom. “There are instances of this aplenty in Germany. The movements surrounding Hitler’s Fascist era, triggered currents that saw artists churning out great works,” observes artist Shuvaprasanna. “During the British Raj, an overt air of nationalism filtered through the Bengal School, led by masters like Nandalal Bose and Abanindranath Tagore. These artists strove to build a new identity for Indian art.

Abanindranath’s Bharat Mata is a luminous example of this. Nandalal Bose was invited by Mahatma Gandhi to do the paintings at the Haripura Congress (1937-38). Nandalal Bose employed contemporary and folk forms in them.” He adds: “The Swadeshi Movement also freed the spirit of man. Ram Kinkar Baij created his famed sculpture, the Santhal Couple. Together with folk culture, many artists explored the urban ethos. The spirit of independence was unleashed.”

The freedom movement witnessed the introduction of Japanese wash technique in Bengal School art. Rabindranath Tagore brought in Okakura, a Japanese aesthete, who infused new elements in art emerging from Santiniketan. Thus emerged Oriental wash technique!

The founder director of Kolkata’s art gallery Chitrakoot and art connoisseur Dr Prakash Kejariwal cites artists such as Somnath Hore who produced art that typified and reflected the Independence movement. He had told the ET Bureau:

"His Wounds series of paintings is now internationally known. He churned several works to fight for liberation through his creativity. These included sculptures to show the suppression of the poor. Classy figurative painters like Hemen Mazumdar, Atul Bose and Sashi Hesh also portrayed nationalist leaders.”

Famous abstract painter Ganesh Haloi says that creative personalities can only work only if their spirit is free. He mentions: “The mind, after all, is not a mere object. A rose blossoms only in an air of freedom. One senses this spirit in nature.”