It is difficult to sit in judgment of an exhibition built around the theme of “Freedom: What it means to me” (August 12-22), for one is not sure what the curator, Pranab Ranjan Roy, had in mind. A viewing of the slightly cluttered exhibition at Aakriti Art Gallery did not clear doubts. At one level it could mean liberation from the shackles of discipline, and at another it could imply freedom of expression.

Going by the art works displayed, not all the participants seemed to have taken the ‘freedom’ theme seriously enough. Some contributed works which were no different from what they usually paint or sculpt. For example, Samir Roy’s monstrous birds are wonderful but have little to do with the theme. Arghya Priya Majumdar, too, has already exhibited those huge masses of flesh with cunning eyes in a couple of exhibitions. He repeated the act here, one wonders why. The inclusion of Habibur Rahman, originally from Bangladesh, too, can be called to question. It is difficult to understand the point he is trying to make.

But to move on to the more positive aspect of the exhibition. It had a significant number of sculptures which still have not found favour with viewers and buyers in our country. Janak Jhankar Narzary’s piece, The Post- Independent/Independent Post, is particularly curious. It is cleverly constructed with steel, straw, bamboo and stone chips, and resembles a totem pole of enmeshed metallic grids embellished with coloured feathers, Red Indian fashion. Sunil K. Das’s animal shapes have evolved into forms that come close to caricatures, one of them doing a balancing act on another’s back. They are as capricious as goats are expected to be.

P. Rajivanayan’s brass heads are behind bars. One of them is an enigma swathed in mystery. The features are barely visible through what looks like a plaster cast mask or the filmi make-up of an abominable mummy. Soma, who uses a soft medium for her work Vandemataram, uses bronze with equal confidence. Her carapace has that look of timelessness one expects in a fossil.

Sharbani Roy from Santiniketan very effectively uses tapestry with painted images in her work. The effect of colours and lines and varied textures is bold and arresting. Pink, purple and black used in the right proportions always create a dramatic effect.

Birendra Pani (picture) repeats the monochrome motif of a gagged male head in Game of Fundamentalism. Only one of them painted with skin tones sticks out. The word “Swadhinata” is emblazoned across the rows of cloned heads, some of which are blotted out. Pani has a clear vision and he puts them across in clear lines.