Manipur is known for its ethereal Raasleelas. In keeping with the spirit, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre presented a Manipuri dance ballet, Rasleela, at Purbasree auditorium, Bharatiyam on November 30. Produced and performed by Sruti Performing Troupe, the evening commenced with Vasanta Raas, one of the five Raasleelas of Manipur — usually held on the full-moon night of chaitra purnima. Sankirtana set the perfect mood with abira and lyrical movements characteristic of the Manipuri style. Sruti Bandopadhyay’s performance as Krishna was commendable. The graceful movements along with a sense of rhythm made the group presentation enjoyable.
Sharmila BasuThakur

Such a long journey

Sukhen Ghosh’s retrospective exhibition of sculpture at the Birla Academy was a journey back and forth in time. Ghosh’s geometrical abstracts on pedestals are actually so complex yet apparently so communicable that it surprises you. The series dwells on a journey marked by portraits before moving on to a depiction of figures akin to deities. The third phase — a series of terracotta — leads you into the world of ancient people. In spite of the ambiguity, one recognises certain relationships among the objects that see a convergence of abstract principles and geometric elements.
Sandip Sarkar

Colours of life

Yet another gallery has come up in the heart of the city. Mon Art Gallerie on Hungerford Street held its inaugural exhibition on November 23, with eminent artist Paritosh Sen doing the honours. The exhibition titled Un Rêve (A dream) brings together a diverse range of works by the who’s who of the Indian art fraternity. On the one hand is veteran artist Bikash Bhattacharjee’s water colour on paper — one of his earlier works executed in 1987 — depicting the fenced-in state of an animal pitted against a bird, poised for flight. On the other is the late Francis Newton Souza’s distinctive work in water colour on magazine paper, showing a part of the female anatomy using the imagery of a butterfly. Sohan Qadri’s work exudes a sense of the infinite, executed in an unusual medium — ink and dye on paper — while Sheela Gowda’s oil on canvas reflects a turmoil that seems to be the order of the day. The exhibition will be on till December 15.
Vishnupriya Sengupta