Four-day doll-making workshop & exhibition starts in city

KOLKATA: Bhanu Pal, a resident of Uttar Dinajpur, has been creating clay figurines since he was eight years old. He inherited his family’s tradition of sculpting dolls and has cherished this craft throughout his life.

Even at the age of 70, his passion for crafting each figurine remains the same. Even Sadhan Pal from Murshidabad is striving to keep the ancient art alive.

If you love art then the four-day doll-making workshop and exhibition at Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala is sure to excite you.

Organised by the Lokasanskriti and Adivasi Sanskriti Kendra of the Government of West Bengal in association with the department of Information and Cultural Affairs, the four-day workshop has folk artists from Uttar Dinajpur, Burdwan, Murshidabad, Darjeeling, Bankura, Nadia, South 24-Parganas, Birbhum and other districts.

On Thursday, state tourism minister Indranil Sen inaugurated the exhibition, which is open from 2 pm - 9 pm till September 17.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is known for her appreciation of arts and she has always championed folk artists and provided them a prominent platform. She also prioritises the welfare of small-scale industries. This exhibition will surely provide an enriching experience for the Kolkatans,” he said.

Ashutosh Bagchi of Siliguri makes mashai aka bamboo dolls. He appreciates the initiative of the government to promote folk artists.

Meanwhile, Brindaban Chandra from East Midnapore has come to the exhibition with shellac dolls, colloquially known as ‘Gaalar Putul’. With his grandson in tow, he said: “These kinds of exhibitions and workshops are always welcome because it provides us a chance to uphold the ancient tradition of Bengal in front of the new generation,” he said.

Most of the folk artists also attend the Hastasilpa Mela in Kolkata.