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The fan man is here
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What makes artist Jatin Das angry, and what brings a smile on his face?
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FASCINATION FOR FANS Jatin Das
Some two years ago, witnessing the sudden boom in India's `art market', a TV channel presented a show on investment in art.
It chose multi-faceted artist Jatin Das and National Gallery of Modern Art's Rajiv Lochan to discuss the topic.
The anchor, with his well-researched facts, talked about the money that art was fetching. While Lochan answered all the queries about future investments in art, Das sat annoyed.
"Art is not an object for sale like a commodity. I don't want to speak on `art for sale'," he said.
If his reaction surprised viewers, those who know Das will vouch that he has always been like this.
And that's why perhaps one doesn't see his works circulating in all the art shows happening at the drop of a hat these days.
The widely travelled artist, who exhibited his works in many European countries besides the U.K. and West Asia, is disgruntled about art being taken as a business.
But what brings a smile on the face of this `Fan Man' of India is when you talk to him about his fan or `pankha collection.'
Airy collection
Das has over 5000 antique fans in his collection. Most of them are from India, including Kerala, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa, though he has fans from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China and Africa too.
Informs his wife Bidisha Roy Das, "Among the most exquisite fans are the wedding fans from Pakistan, followed by the Buddhist ones from Sri Lanka, the palm leaf ones from Burma and some delicate ones made from animal gut from Indonesia."
Says Das, "Whenever I visited any village or town in the Indian subcontinent, one of my concerns was to scout for hand fans and traditional crafts. I also sketch and take their photographs. I would often ask chowkidars, cooks and peons for hand fans because they are the people who are still connected to the tradition. At first, they would laugh, but later produce beautiful pieces made by their mothers, wives and daughters."
Maiden show
In May, 2004, all the fans came out of his trunks for their maiden exhibition, held at the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi.
A book, "To Stir the Still Air", was also published by Mapin International. The fans will find a permanent display at one of the galleries of the JDCA, he says. But the latest thing to keep Das busy is his plan topen three books.
"One is on lacquer terracotta from Orissa, one is a compilation of articles on him, and one is on his life," reveals Bidisha.
RANA SIDDIQUI
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