Artist : Bhaskar Chitrakar
Title : Jazz Cats - 3
Medium : Natural colours on handmade paper
Size : 11" x 15"
Year : 2018
"Kalighat patas” are a class of paintings on paper produced by ‘patuas’ in the neighbourhood of the famous Kali Temple in Calcutta in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Popular themes included Hindu deities, satirical portrayals of Englishmen and 'babus', historical events and incidents of daily life.
In recent times, one artist belonging to a family of patuas, young Bhaskar Chitrakar of Kalighat, is reviving this style. This painting, done in powder pigments on hand-made paper, is a part of a limited edition series created especially for an experimental arts show.
The series is titled "Jazz Cats" - it is the artist's version of the Kalighat Cat as jazz musician.
The absolute incongruity of the visual is its appeal!