FANTASTIC PATTERN: A work by Bhagat Singh

This Bhagat Singh is fighting for the greens, the flowers, the birds? and even the smallest insects. But instead of joining a group of activists, he has been employing his artistic skills to spread environmental awareness.

After a successful run at Delhi, Singh?s latest series of paintings, Celebrating Nature, is on view at the Anant Art Gallery, on Alipore Road, from Friday.

?Ever since my days at Jamia Milia Islamia, I have been concentrating on Nature,? said the disciple of artist A. Ramachandran.

?After trying figurative and abstract compositions, I finally settled for the semi-surrealistic style, which allows me to communicate the immense beauty and mystery of nature,? said Singh from Delhi.

Singh?s latest are oils, some measuring 6 ft by 12 ft, a couple of watercolours and a few linear monochromatic drawings.

In a decorative style reminiscent of early Indian miniatures and inlay work, viewers are treated to fantastic patterns made up of coiling roots, arching stems and vivid exaggerated leaves, buds and flowers. Small birds, exotic butterflies, cloud clusters and wave-like lines contribute to this vision.

Some of the flowers are the familiar dhutro, one may even identify some of the birds as parrots or pigeons, but Singh is hardly in a mood to draw in details. His aim, instead, is to recreate the ambience of wilderness. ?Living amidst all the pollution of Delhi, I often thirst for contact with nature,? said the artist.

Singh is no stranger to Calcutta. On earlier educational tours, he had even managed to impress quite a few teachers from the Government College of Arts and Crafts.