Staff Reporter –
To celebrate the spirit of Women’s Day, Taj City Centre Newtown Kolkata presents an exclusive Patachitra Art exhibition by renowned artists Pampa Chitrakar and Tiya Chitrakar at The Emperor Lounge. After the huge success of the first edition, the second edition of the exhibition titled Paints & Strokes,brings alive thetraditional and mythological heritage of rural Bengal.
Patachitra is a storytelling tradition of Midnapore region of Bengal. In this unique art form, oral tradition meets the visual structures of a narrative. Patachitra means picture painted on cloth. The artists portray this art in different kinds of Patas, namely square form or in scroll forms. Patachitra is appreciated by art lovers for its effortless style of drawings and colours. The unique blend of old world charm and modern day charisma of Shamiana is a perfect setting where the women artists could express and shape their palettes of thoughts with vivid colours.
The renowned Patachitra artist Ms. Pampa Chitrakar while demonstrating live painting, said, “West Bengal has a rich heritage of art & culture, you will find different shades of art in every corner of the state. We are Patachitra artists since generations, we
tell a tale through painting and folk song. This form of art has helped us to become financially independent. I am grateful to Taj City Centre Newtown Kolkata for promoting all form of arts and artists here.”
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sourav Ghosal, General Manager, Taj City Centre Newtown Kolkata said; “Taj has always been in the forefront when it comes to women-centric initiatives for all its various stakeholders including guests, employees, partners and the community, mirroring the spirit of the women who push the boundaries, expanding the world for themselves and those that follow. To commemorate the same spirit, we are delighted to celebrate the excellent and remarkable Patachitra artworks of renowned artists Pampa Chitrakar & Tiya Chitrakar with the 2nd edition Paints & Strokes in Kolkata. It is a must visit for art connoisseurs of the city.”
Through their artwork, the artists have been able to create a platform where several methods of communication are converged – including visual messages, oral traditions and music – all of which helped to amalgamate, involve and portray nature, society and culture coexisting through a lucid dialogue. Patachitra artwork is an important and traditional work of art that has helped to preserve valuable information about social transformations, stories of migrations and details of socio-political and religious reflections which often goes uncharted.
The background or landscape of each narrative is simple and not too detailed since the main focus lies on the characters and their actions. Flower and leaf motifs are the common styling elements used to give a more aesthetic appeal to the artwork. Traditional colours such as red, green, yellow, dark blue, white, and orange are used to define each section of the painting.