March 4: An array of brilliant canvases by Neelpawan Barua is on display at the art galleries of the Lalit Kala Bhawan in the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra here.

The canvases were created over an illustrious career spanning 35 long years.

The exhibition, called Neelpawan Barua Retrospective, was inaugurated by distinguished art critic, poet and Sahitya Akademi fellow Nilmoni Phukan on March 2 and will continue till April 6.

The retrospective showcases 155 paintings and drawings of the painter, referred to as the Pablo Picasso of Assam by the art cognoscenti.

Expressing gratitude to the Kalakshetra for organising his solo exhibition, Barua said during the inauguration ceremony, “This will help me in both recollecting and introspecting about my works, which I had been unable to do while actively pursuing art.”

Kalakshetra vice-president Sobha Brahma presided over the inauguration ceremony, while painter Adya Sarma was guest of honour.

Comparing Barua’s creative expressions with that of Rabindranath Tagore’s works, Nilmoni Phukan said, “Barua’s paintings portray his soul. Each canvas is a crystal-clear reflection of the innocence of his spirit and his deep desire for freedom from manmade shackles. His paintings speak volumes about his emotive talent.”

Barua, who is founder of the Assam Fine Arts and Craft Society and the first private Children’s Art Institute in the city, has held several exhibitions till date.

Prominent among them are the solo exhibitions at Birla Academy, Calcutta, Bhubaneshwar and Lucknow.

He also represented Assam at the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi and participated in a group show in the nation’s capital.

His unique achievement was creating 2,000 drawings and 2,000 paintings in 2000.

Barua’s exploration of the artistic medium has helped him create innovative artworks on cigarette packs, cards and 2,000 calligraphic figurations on old newsprint.

He recently published a compilation of figurations under the title, Basundhara.

Visitors, mainly artists, art lovers, critics and students, have thronged the exhibition on the first three days.

With Barua once hinting that the ongoing retrospective could be his last solo show, the art fraternity has been making a beeline for the gallery.