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Reflecting on the excellence of artistry

Traditional art and culture from Bengal was venerated on two separate occasions through the depiction of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama and an exhibition by the students of Rabindra Bharati University.

Reflecting on the excellence of artistry

Rabindra Bharati University

The West Bengal Akademi of Dance Drama Music and Visual Arts, Rabindra Bharati University held Phalguni Niye, a seminar on Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama Phalguni recently at Bichitra, Jorasanko Thakurbari to celebrate “chaos as the best form of order”.

The seminar was inaugurated by Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University and chairman of West Bengal State Akademi of Dance Drama Music and Visual Arts, professor Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, and professor Saumitra Basu.

Professor Basu, the first speaker of the day elucidated on “Oshomoyer Labanya: Phalguni”. He briefed the audience about the foresight of Tagore who through this dance drama tried to voice the commotion of the world affected by the trauma of the First World War (1914-1919) during the time of its composition and publication in1916.

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He also enlightened on how Phalguni has broken free from the prevalent norms of theatre and created a world in itself, highly influenced by modernist literature from the West. Professor Mukhopadhay on the other hand, drew the context of the play with intricate finesse in his lecture called Sharodotshob theke Phalguni.

He talked about the prevalent themes in Tagore’s dance dramas throughout his career and proceeded to narrate interesting stories from his own experience bringing out the grace in these creations while universalising the subject for all his readers to participate in as well.

 

Members of “Antarmukh” performed the first scene of the drama winning the audience’s appreciation. This was followed by “Unihee Kolkata”, which presented a fragment of the drama based on Phalguni.

Tagore’s words found life during this seminar and were enlivened with Rabindra Sangeet and a poetry recital, with Phalguni Niye leaving the audience mesmerised.

The Rabindra Bharati University’s Students’ Annual Exhibition 2018, organised by its faculty of visual arts, was also inaugurated on the same day with paintings, sculptures and graphics from students of various departments, including the works of several awardees.

It was inaugurated by professor Jogen Chowdhury who is an artist, pedagogue and a member of the Rajya Sabha; professor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, vice-chancellor, Rabindra Bharati University; Shri Debdatta Roy, registrar; and professor Aditya Prasad Mitra, dean of the faculty of visual arts.

The exhibition was home to 185 pieces of art — mainly paintings, sculptures and graphics selected from a diverse scope of submissions of the students of the departments of painting, sculpture, graphics (printmaking), applied art and history of arts. Awards and certificates of merit were given to many of the students whose works were featured.

The exhibition excelled in its standard and reflected the excellence that has been achieved by the Rabindra Bharati University’s faculty of visual arts.

It has been based on several aspects of its uniqueness as an art institution imparting education in liberal arts in varied ways that find reflection in diverse approaches and tendencies along with the involvement of media.

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