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At times, opportunities arrive out of nowhere, and one feels supremely privileged to accept them. Like it came to me some months back, when the members of the Society of Contemporary Artists were mulling over a gala exhibition to mark their Golden Jubilee year.
After all, for me, the Society–as this Kolkata-based fraternity of painters, sculptors, print-makers are called–holds a special place. I have not only had a personal association with them, but some of them have been family friends for many years like Bikash Bhattacharjee, B. R. Panesar, Sanat Kar, Ganesh Haloi, Suhas Roy, Manu Parekh among others.
Being the son of a couple, one of whom had been an art-critic and the other an artist herself, it was but natural for me to look up in awe to the members of the organization that had literally spearheaded the Art Movement in Bengal from the Sixties.
Hence, when it came to the occasion of hosting an exhibition to celebrate the Society's Golden Jubilee year, I was more than happy to be part of the celebrations. It is truly a privilege to get a chance to host “ NOT SO LONG AGO” this Sculpture Show at Aakriti Art Gallery with sculptures by those very seniors whom I have revered all throughout my life as an art connoisseur. The title of the exhibition “Not so long ago” is so apt to my mind, because the Society at heart is still young and will always remain so. It is a further privilege to be able to felicitate two of the senior members – Sanat Kar and Sunil Das on the same occasion.
Last, but not least, this Sculpture Show has been a revelation to me, which I am sure will also be the case with you, because, despite quite of few of the pieces displayed being maiden sculpture works by the respective artists, they are not only impressive but also highly engaging, considering the fact that most of the present members of the Society are essentially painters or print-makers.
By holding such a prestigious show, I am happy that we at Aakriti and in turn the artist-fraternity of the city would be able to end 2009 on a truly high note. So here is raising a toast to the spirit of art.
-Vikram Bachhawat |
