Expressions in Graphics: An ode to the art of printmaking

In the midst of the gallery lies a series of woodcut prints by award winning artist, Ratan Mojumder, displaying geometrical shapes over a stark black background. 

Years ago, the artist had mentored a number of students through a workshop, sharing his ways with young and eager minds. Today, the works of the mentor and students stand side by side in the same room. Displayed diagonally across from Mojumder's pieces are similar art pieces by six of those students. 

The beauty of exhibitions, such as Galleri Kaya's 'Expressions in Graphics' curated by Goutam Chakraborty, is that they have a way of telling stories through subtle details. However, this specific exhibition has a larger message to send to people, and it lies in its theme- 'graphics', which refers to printmaking, and the many mediums that fall under it.

Throughout the gallery, you will find artworks made through mediums such as linocut, lithography, woodcut, and so on.

Chakraborty strongly believes that this medium is underappreciated, and deserves more popularity, especially in our local art scene. Bangladesh's art scene has unique issues, including a lack of accessibility to people. 
"I personally feel like, based on the size of the economy, the printmaking medium needs to be more popularised," he shared. "A traditional painting will demand a certain price, but when the artwork is made in the printmaking medium, the price of the art piece usually becomes more affordable."

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

All 63 pieces by the 27 artists in the exhibition were created through mediums that fall under printmaking. When you take a closer look at pieces such as Murtaja Baseer's 'Shoe shine boy', you will find a number such as, '15/13, 2nd Edition'. This indicates the number of copies of the art piece. This transparency is also a matter of ethics. 

"We personally prefer artists who practise their craft ethically. The AP [Artist's Proof] is personal to the artist; if they just printed it without proper numbering and the AP mark, you wouldn't know how many copies there are of the art piece. Declaring the number of editions is an important ethical practice."

However, this journey of making art more accessible is not that easy, as there is a deep-rooted stigma behind this medium. Due to there being multiple pieces of the same artwork, many collectors question the validity of the pieces, often dismissing their value. 

Often, before even influential artists' pieces reach collectors, they are thoroughly assessed by the artist. The artist has to approve the print matrix, the number of prints that will be made, and the prints themselves. Any flaw can lead to the print being scrapped.

"People in our country do not perceive printmaking as legitimate artwork, as there are copies of it.This is wrong, because this is a democratic process of creating original work. If the artist signs the piece, it is a way for them to vouch for their own work, proving that it is their original piece. Due to this wrong perception, the business of this medium does not really thrive."

When you move through the gallery, you realise the fact that each piece was made through the print medium does not really matter. The motion in Shahabuddin's paintings, Anisuzzaman's methodical linework, and the stories in MF Husain's work are not dimmed in the slightest.

Even the curator agreed, "The point of art is to enjoy it; it is not about value and possession."

The exhibition will be open for all till 7 June. 

TBS Picks 

'Divided Society-2' by Ratan Mojumder
Medium: Woodcut print 

"Society is divided by cubes, and throughout the series of these paintings, parts of the society go missing. When you see the whole series together, I feel like the piece almost has a phonetic aspect to it," said curator Goutam Chakraborty.

'The change ahead' by Jayanta Naskar
Medium: Etching

"The painting has a book in it where you can see the title, 'West Bengal the change ahead.' It speculates that times and situations are changing, but whether these changes are positive or negative, it doesn't specify directly. However, you can see that all of the figures are half-faced. This piece is a social critique of the artist," said Chakraborty.

'Eternal mother' by MF Husain
Medium: Serigraph on paper

The artwork depicts an outline of a shadowed woman, whose garment resembles those of Mother Teresa. Behind Mother Teresa stands an individual in the shadows, holding a pot. The use of a stark black shadow adds an ominous feel to the piece. 

'Shoe shine boy' by Murtaja Baseer
Medium: Linocut 

"This piece by Baseer is from 1954. The artist took inspiration from the children he would see carry boxes of tools and shoe polish back in the day. As the artist was involved in left-wing politics, ordinary people - such as shoe-shiners - were a source of inspiration for him and a frequent subject in his works," said Chakraborty.