The times and turbulence of the Bengal Famine captured in the works of artist Somnath Hore, culled out from his daughter's private collection, is now on exhibition here.
Drawings, water colours and lithographs of the artist, famed for capturing the suffering and depravity of humanity is being shown at the Art Heritage Gallery here till December 20.
Hore is most remembered for his documentation of the
Horrors of the Bengal famine of 1943 and the Tebhaga
Peasant struggle of 1946, which were rendered with academic verity.
The exhibition displays Hore's drawings from 1999, lithographs from 1963-1968 and and watercolours from 1964 and 65.
It showcases the evolution of the artist whose works with time is seen to become more restrictive and nuanced.
His pictorial space becomes vacant and less detailed where figures were reduced to their bare structural essentials.
Unlike Chittaprasad or other political artists like Zainul Abedin, Gobardhan Ash, Nanadlal Bose or Ramkinkar Baij, the Somnath Hore's body of work focuses a lot more on the body than the face.
In his "Wounds" series Somnath tries to render large-scale sufferings and humiliations that wars and famines inflicted on men and animals alike. This single theme was explored by him throughout his entire lifetime.
Hore's work creates a personal analogy of hope which is handcrafted to create an alternate dimension for registering protest against injustice and indifference.
For instance, the penurious man who is playing with
The dog cuts a different picture from other hapless souls, he is alive and happy.
Chandana Hore says of his father, "He taught me not to be greedy ...And enjoy what I get today ...And build
Up some dreams from very little."
The artist is also renowned for his sculptures, none of which is being shown in the current exhibition.
The gallery is also showcasing a short film on the artist, who died in the year 2006.
