Abhisarika: An expression of love and romance

It is often said that works of art have a story behind, and artists have the ability to present these narratives using a series of images that represent moments in a story, or by selecting a central moment that stands for the whole story.

One such artist Sukanta Das has weaved a love story about a beloved Abhisarika (one who moves) to convey her secret meetings with her lover, setting aside her modesty. She is depicted at the door of his house and on his way to the tryst, defying all kinds of difficulties like storms, snakes and dangers of the forest. In art, Abhisarika is portrayed often in hurry towards his destination.

The story will be told through an exhibition 'Abhisarika' in the fourth hall of the Lalit Kala Akademi from April 20–26. The inauguration on April 20 will see the presence of eminent artists Sudip Roy, Asit Patnaik, Dharmendra Rathore, and Shampa Sirkar Das, besides eminent sculptor Tapas Sarkar.

Renowned photographer Aninda Adhikary, who has conceived and presented the exhibition, says Sukanta has brought realism back to art at a time when many artists are moving to distortions of figures and abstraction. Sukanta achieves an enigmatic quality by using mixed colours to achieve the exact quality of drapery to depict the tone of a woman's skin, besides painting the emotions of humanity.

Sukanta Das' works have adorned the walls of numerous corporate and private collectors.