Ganesh Haloi’s tremendous ability to turn into abstrac­tions the childhood memories of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and its vast network of rivers is widely known. With the minimum of fluent calligraphic flourishes, he is able to conjure up a land whose lifeblood is water. Memories turn into fluid graphic compositions. This wonderful gift of his was on display, once again, at Debovasha’s show, A Ganesh Haloi Exhibition: Limits and borders crash into Infinity. What made this exhibition special was that all the works were in gouache, that too in black-and-white. Rather than limiting the scope for improvisation, these restrictions seem to have spurred the creativity of the artist born in 1936 in Jamalpur village in Mymensinh.

Instead of trying to recreate photographic images of the rivers seen in his mind’s eye, Haloi endeavours to capture the rhythm and the energy that keep these dynamic, often turbulent, streams flowing through a series of brush strokes that are akin to musical notes.

With the minimum of details, he creates vivid impressions of the vast sand banks through which a river ploughs its way. There are broad patches of dark grey on an expanse of white and some parallel strokes to suggest the water currents and two boats floating like straw on the wide expanse of water. This is nature’s domain in which human presence is insignificant.

In another painting, a clump of aquatic plants raise their slender arms like ethereal maidens reaching out to the skies. In another painting, the hydrophytes are like a flotilla being swept by the waters. In yet another, the river is a picture of tranquillity as feather-like stalks sway in the breeze.

Haloi has complete control of his medium. His mastery over form is evident from the manner in which he turns a riverine map into a geometric pattern where straight lines and curves are harmoniously balanced. Haloi has a limited number of visuals in his arsenal, yet the variety of imagery he creates is quite amazing.