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 Kalaakriti: a unique painting exhibition - Manjari Sinha e-mail: manjari@sinha.com Photos: Manjari Sinha October 3, 2023 The legendary Kathak maestro Pt. Birju Maharaj was not just a dynamic dancer but also a gifted poet, soulful singer, versatile composer, and extraordinary percussionist who could play tabla, pakhawaj, nal, or any other musical instrument with effortless ease. He was in fact, a painter at heart, who used to say, "My dance is like a painting on the canvas of space with the brush of Ghunghrus (ankle bells) and colours of innumerable Hastak (hand gestures) and Ang (body movement)." The Late Guru also referred to his disciples as his artworks. It was therefore no surprise when he literally picked up the palette and brush and started painting passionately in his later years. He created over three hundred artworks in his lifetime.  Photo courtesy: Saswati Sen The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Kalashram school of dance and music established by Pt. Birju Maharaj, jointly presented 'Kalaakriti', an exhibition of paintings by Pt. Birju Maharaj, revealing a rare persona of the legend through his paintings. Inaugurated by Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Prof. Rita Ganguli, Manjushri Chatterjee and Sachchidanand Joshi, member secretary IGNCA on 26th September, the painting exhibition will remain open till 8th October 2023 at Darshanam, ground floor of IGNCA. A catalogue was also brought out on this occasion. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi says in its foreword, "Kalaakriti, the first ever exhibition of the artworks by the illustrious Kathak maestro, is curated to commemorate his artistic legacy and to celebrate his unparalleled contribution to the world of art and culture. It stands as a testament to his unending influence on Indian classical arts. The exhibition that unveils a lesser-known facet of his creativity through his paintings is our homage to a legendary artist whose influence transcends time and medium. Each brushstroke reveals his passion, his keen eye for details, and his unwavering dedication to artistic expression. We have organized this exhibition to engage his fans, followers, and young enthusiasts to experience the creative crafts of his genius, be it dance, music, or poetry, through workshops and interactive sessions."   The program schedule at the exhibition therefore includes painting, music, dance workshops, and 'Poetry Reading Unplugged' at the IGNCA. Anita and Vikas Kulkarni, the renowned visual artists and curators of this exhibition, who are also Maharaj's daughter and son-in-law, say in their preface to the catalogue, "While Pt. Birju Maharaj started painting as an extension to his dance, he soon began to express his innermost feelings and thoughts on the canvas. A venerated star on stage, allowed his vulnerabilities to play with colours in the privacy of his studio. Looking back at the body of works he has gifted the world, we wonder what masterpieces he may have painted had he been a professional painter. His sincerity in anything he did, and his eternal quest for knowledge defined his art. And his art defines our times." Guru Saswati Sen, his prime disciple and secretary, Kalashram, says, "Kalashram was the dream institution of Birju Maharaj, where he wanted to impart training in Kathak along with allied arts and multiple disciplines like vocal and instrumental music, Yoga, painting and more. He believed that art has a strong role in developing the mind, balance in perception, clarity of thoughts, strengthening mental and physical energy and developing leadership qualities with a compassionate approach. His passion for painting inspired him to hold several art camps during Kalashram's annual Vasantotsava, where senior painters also shared their creative works."   The painting exhibition has different sections under titles like Bhakti, Nature, Dance, Festivity, Portraits, Abstract art, etc. We all are acquainted with scores of Bhajans, Vandana (invocations), and Thumris, which he has written, composed, and sung in praise of his ishta deva Shri Krishna. We have also watched him enacting the leelas of child Krishna like 'Makhanchori', stealing of butter but here you see his devotion towards his ishta deva Krishna in paintings like the Govardhan Leela where he lifts the Govardhan mountain on his little finger to rescue hundreds of Brajvasis from the thunderous terror of Indra, or playing flute on the banks of river Yamuna while taking the cows to green pastures, or themes of meditation and spiritual symbols like Om painted in multiple shades of devotional aura.   The Nature segment has paintings of waterfalls, the expansive sky, rivers in multiple shades of blue, and lush green trees, which remind us of the immense influence of nature one saw in his dance - his 'tihais' depicting sparrows, tigers, and ducks or his rhythmic patterns showcasing the turbulent waves of the sea. Likewise, there are paintings with nature's bounty in multi-hued splendor. The dance segment has not only paintings of dancers in dance poses but also the bols (mnemonics) like traam, dhitta, gadigan, kukku, thunga, takka, takita et al in a semi-abstract style. The festivity segment has various festivals from kite flying to saluting the Tricolour, Janmashtami, to Guru Purnima. One can see portraits of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to Buddha and Satya Sai Baba in the portrait segment and subjects like the five senses 'Panchendriyan', Navarasa, and the spiritual quest under the title Abstract.  There is also a section where one sees the actual ambiance of his studio, with his Kurta spread on the chair, his footwear resting beneath, his easel with a painting in progress, his palette and brushes all waiting for him to come back and continue. Here one also gets to see the paintings by painters who graciously contributed their works as a mark of respect to Pt. Birju Maharaj and the personal bond that each of them formed with him during their interactions at the workshops regularly held during Kalashram's annual Vasantotsava. One can also see his sketchbooks displayed in this section of the exhibition. Kalaakriti, the exhibition of Pt. Birju Maharaj's paintings look like a Kalaakriti itself, and art lovers would love it!  Manjari Sinha has an M.A. in Sanskrit and Music, and trained in vocal, tabla, sitar and Kathak dance. She has regular columns in national dailies as a music and dance critic. |
