The art calendar is buzzing in August, and there is a certain meditative quality to the works on show—ranging from reflections on love and loss to creating solidarity for those facing civil war and caste-based discrimination
Reframing a master’s practice
In an extensive survey of paintings, drawings and prints, an upcoming show at Project 88 recontextualises the practice of artist Sudhir Khastgir. Titled The Rhythms of Refuge, the retrospective curated by art historian R Siva Kumar and conceived in collaboration with Galerie 88, Kolkata, traces the distinct oeuvre of this reclusive artist. Born in Chittagong in 1907, Khastgir was an early student of Nandalal Bose at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. The show, however, seeks to look beyond the framework of Bengal and Santiniketan, and highlight the fact that the affinity of an artist like Khastgir to a broader movement didn’t mean that they had no individuality.
It is from this perspective this exhibition becomes significant. “It proposes to relook at Sudhir Khastgir, who was mostly seen as an artist within the framework of Bengal and Santiniketan. A closer look at his works will make evident a complex connection between his personal life experiences, his favoured subjects and their aesthetic framing," states Siva Kumar. “In fact, what looks like a spontaneous celebration of life is a subtle sublimation of experiences and deeper emotions that haunted him. Even with his affiliations to groups or schools, his art was clearly shaped by his subjectivity."
Sudhir Khastgir: The Rhythms of Refuge can be viewed at Project 88, Mumbai, from 8 August to 14 September, 11 am to 7 pm, closed on Sunday and Monday.