JOIN USJharkhand-based artist Haren Thakur brought a glimpse of tribal lifestyle and culture to Delhiites with his sets of paintings in mixed media on rice paper. Around 50 paintings of the artist described the way tribals make their living, dance, enjoy, decorated their homes, and other aspects, which according to him are universal.
For his first solo exhibition and fourth show in the City, having been born and grown up on land which inhabits around 32 tribes, Haren could not help but choose tribals as the theme.
“There a dance movement in the way tribal people walk and their way of speaking is musical. This is what appealed to me. The tribals way of living and rituals are same across the world, to a large extent,” said Haren, a graduate of Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.
The paintings using acrylics and water colours on rice paper were made by Haren over six years and are serene and simple. While the paintings showcase the tribals’ distinct identity from the so called civil society, they also present their similarity with it too when it comes to emotions.
For instance, ‘The Musical Meet’ depicts a couple in a timeless frame of family. It could be Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, Lord Ram and Sita or just another Indian couple enjoying some peaceful time together. ‘The Open Parlour’ depicts a young lady of the tribe who is rendering care to an older lady of the clan. This outdoor scene of intimate tending by younger generation is also used to hand over folklore and life’s tips.
“The urban people badly miss this interesting and enriching cross-generation dialogue full of traditional wisdom and lore that sustains civilisation,” shares the artist, who has been working on rice paper since 1974. “Handmade rice paper’s texture appeals to me. I get all the paper from Shantiniketan. Its very ethnic,” he adds.
The similarity between the civilised society and tribes can also be seen in ‘The Reckless Recluse’ in which a man is relaxing after consuming liquor. His posture seems to indicate that he is without guilt.
The eight-day exhibition at India International Centre’s Art Gallery was inaugurated by art critic and poet Keshav Malik, whom Haren gives the credit for his first solo showcase.
“He saw my work two years ago at Triveni. That time it was a joint exhibition with another artist. He was very impressed with my paintings and asked me to approach a bigger gallery,” said Haren.