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Photo: Vipin Chandran

Artistic joy The group of artists from the North East at the National Painters Camp

Shyamali Chaliha, based in Jorhat, who is the secretary of the Omkar Centre for Creative Arts, an organisation that works for the welfare and uplift of the artists in the North East says life is not rosy for artists there. She has finished one work and is on to her next one. Each one will do three works at the camp. She does commissioned work often but when she works on her own, she lets her down and puts down on canvas all that she feels. “I paint about myself and also about how females are treated in our part of the world,” says Shyamali.

Awareness of art is sorely lacking in the North East, feel all the artists. Omkar Centre for Creative arts has a website which helps sell their works. “We also do a lot of art based social work and take art to the people,” she says. Once, they blocked a whole street in Jorhat for half a day and filled the road with paintings. “Sixty artists took part in this effort. All of them practically painted the street in rainbow colours, each doing one or more paintings, for a stretch of 50 meters.” This, says Shyamali, created a lot of curiosity and interest in the people. No, they did not mind the inconvenience, she stresses.

Pallabi Sharma, also from Assam, busy with her brush and paint, loves to paint on contemporary topics. Topical issues fill her canvases. The woman’s touch is evident .

Ajoy Battacharjee who hails from Arunachal is a sculptor who works in wood. He has just completed his BFA. His sculptures include one with scooter body parts, plastic bottles and buckets! Here he paints tribal figures and the ritual dances of Arunachal Pradesh.

Ajoy says he has this problem of getting too attached to the works he does so that he cannot get himself to sell them. But he says he will get over this in time, when he feels the need to make a living. Benedict S. Hyynniewta from Meghalaya learnt art at Shantiniketan. He is the youngest member of the Meghalaya Artists Guild and a guest lecturer at the North Eastern Hill University. From the Khasi tribe, he says his tribe does not have a rich musical tradition, but he draws much from its visual richness, the colourful attire and festive traditions. What’s new about his paintings is that he does it in such a way that from whichever side you look at it, it makes sense! Put it upside down and you see it okay, turn it on one side and still you think it’s okay.That’s his style.

Vijoy Moni Thulung, 42, from Sikkim is ‘from the south’ of the State. He feels there is very little awareness about art is the area. There is a gallery in Darjeeling where he sells his works. Foreigners do buy paintings, but marketing of art needs to be improved, he feels. His works project the idea that nothing is eternal. The 25-year-old Bishakhe Aeharjee does vibrant abstracts and she has almost finished all three works. Nongmaithem Reena Chanu from Imphal, Laishangthem Iswar Chandra, Pallabi Sharma, Rosiamlana Ralte and Rajesh Bowmic are all busy putting together the best of their efforts for the works at the camp. The camp will be on till February 7.

Suresh Koothuparamba is doing a new series of works, complete with the robust colours of the theyyams in his village and the raw forms. Sujil S, an art student from Palakkad, likes to do drawings, but here he has done three works, and his youth is reflected in all three. Computers, programmes and girls fill his canvases.

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