Instrumental interpretations of Rabindrasangeet continue to chart greener pastures. In Bhavna’s annual programme (Rabindra Sadan, May 4), Violin Brothers, leading a 10-member ensemble, sprang a pleasant surprise by presenting their interpretations of two of Tagore’s popular songs Barho asha kare esechhi and Klanti amaar kshama karo. Their use of counter melody was the most illustrious feature of the evening. Among those standing out were Rokeya Roy, evoking the thrilling climax of Visarjan in seamless oratory, and Mohan Singh, conveying the easeful resignation of Amaar paran jaha chay. Pabitra Sarkar made skilful use of his bass to recall the gloom embedded in Sakali phuralo swapan pray. Sarkar is a possible choice for the lead in a future stage production of Kalmrigaya, Tagore’s shot at opera.
Anshuman Bhowmick
Swapan K Mallick’s solo painting exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts is a mix of personal style, peculiar sensibility and uncontrolled impulse. There is, however, a sense of structure that suggests contrivance. He applies surrealism without the distorted paraphrase of academic art to create a fantastic realism of his own. Most of the works are mixed media with a few tempera and acrylic thrown in. The later ones deal with dream and reality in love affairs. There is another set where imageries from the botanical world are inserted within the human anatomy. Explosive warm colours are contrasted with cool hues.
Sandip Sarkar
Nabanita Javed’s exhibition opened at ITC Sonar Bangla and then shifted to Gallery Katayun. Her works are mostly in acrylic or mixed media on canvas. Some are done with brush. In others she has used computer imaging that has been transferred onto the canvas surface and reworked with brush. To arrive at the computer image, she has scanned her drawings and photographs. Having brought them onto the screen, she has reworked them by using the mouse. This has given her semi-abstract works a technological twist. In spite of this, her colours are vibrant. She has used her experience as a gynaecologist and found objective imagery to express her feelings gained while operating on a patient. Her linear images of people superimposed on colourful fields lead us to a world of semi-abstract impressionism.
Sandip Sarkar
