Artist : Bhaskar Chitrakar
Title : Khorkhori 5 Medium : Natural colours on paper
Size : 10" x 12"
Year : 2023
"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, Bhaskar Chitrakar of Kalighat, is reviving this style. This painting, done in powder pigments on paper, is a contemporary Kalighat, using the old style of paint and brushwork, for a gallery show called "KHORKHORI". These green wooden slatted windows were an integral part of British colonial architecture but are now only found in parts of old Kolkata. This show is a nod to the windows we grew up using, which let the wind in without the rain, which allowed you to see but not be seen!