At a time when treading the line between the real and virtual has become inevitable, Toshiki Ozawa’s exhibition of digital contemporary photographs, Sketches from Overseas, couldn’t have been more timely. Interestingly, Ozawa’s techno-traditional technique ? a result of 25 years of exploration ? imparts a duality to his works. The one and the same frame offers glimpses of euphoria as well as a quiet technological restraint, underlining the paradoxical element of life. Sometimes the tautness of a figure is diffused to impart an illusion of elasticity, while occasionally a landscape’s expansive element is broken into little nuggets for tangibility. Presented by the Photographic Association of Bengal, the Japanese photographer’s works were recently on display at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Tirna Ray
Anandi presented an enchanting evening with raga Behag at Rabindra Sadan (January 15). How the composer explored its potential found a wholesome articulation in Indrani Bhattacharya’s seamless recital that saw an eclectic mix of songs, mostly based on uncommon rhythmic cycles. The charming cadence of Boli amaar golapbala, the sub-stoic restraint of Sahe na jatna, the long lingering look of Tare deho go ani (a Swarnakumari Devi lyric set to tune) ? all were dealt with considerable expertise by Bhattacharya. It was followed by a jugalbandi of sorts featuring two veterans ? vocalist Subodh Ranjan Dey and Kalachand Lahiri. The former’s matchless dhrupad skill was complemented by violin essays from the latter.
Anshuman Bhowmick
All the halls of the Academy of Fine Arts were booked by Forum 91, Calcutta for an exhibition titled Creativity and Concern for Humanity and had lot of sculptures, paintings, home d?cor artifacts by both eminent and emerging artists. The wall and floor space was over crowded and the show looked more like an art carnival. The central hall housed some exquisite but minor landscapes by Gopal Ghosh and Satyendra Banerjee’s delightful and sensitive oriental miniature art. Senior artists like Shyamashree Basu and Dhiraj Choudhury exhibited some paintings from their earlier period along with his recent works. The semi abstract poetic landscape of Anita Roychoudhury matched well with Katyun Saklat’s Persian religious icons.
Sandip Sarker
