Silchar: Folkus, a socio-cultural organisation, will open a folk and tribal art gallery here on December 6.
At a news conference on Sunday, the members of the organisation said the gallery, which will feature around 80,000 paintings and other creations, will be the first-of-its-kind in the Northeast.
"Cachar deputy commissioner S. Lakshmanan will inaugurate the gallery. Our main objective is to promote folk and tribal art and encourage the budding artists of the region," said Sandipan Dutta Purkayastha, one of the directors of Folkus.
The gallerywill function as a branch of Shilpangan, an art and craft institute here.
"Paintings, drawings and handicrafts are being collected from Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, and also from neighbouring countries like Nepal. Besides, the gallery will also house various indigenous creations, he said.
"Textile creations of unique forms and tribal ornaments will be a special attraction in the gallery," he added.
"Folk art is on the brink of fading into oblivion, especially in Barak Valley. Sincere efforts should be made to keep the artistry alive. Such an initiative will help develop a creative scenario in this region," Ritam Chakraborty, another director of the organisation, said. "The creations will be available in e-commerce platforms like Snapdeal among others for purchase. Workshops on folk and tribal art will also be conducted," he added.
Prashanta Seal, owner of Shilpangan and a member of Folkus, said the gallery would initially start with creations worth Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
"The stock will increase with time and there are various plans in the pipeline to boost the folk and tribal art scene in the valley," he added. The gallery is the brainchild of Seal.
Pranab Seal, another member of the organisation, said the gallery would feature contemporary exhibits like leather dolls and masks, along with traditional folk and tribal creations.
The initiative is being supported by local organisations/groups, including Snehalata Foundation, Art Echo, P.K. Production and Paint Fish Studios, he added.
