POTCHITRO KOTHA
Shambhu Acharyas solo exhibition from July 8
DL desk
Potchitra Kothathe first solo exhibition by Shambhu Acharya is set to begin at the Edward M Kennedy Center (EMK Center) in the capitals Dhanmondi area this month.
The exhibition will open with an inauguration ceremony on July 8 at 6:00 pm, which will be attended by ambassador (rtd) Muhammad Zamir, president, Bangladesh Folklore Research Centre as the chief guest.
Potchitra or scroll painting has been practiced in the Bengal region since the 12th century. Often executed traditionally by families who specialized in this art form where the pictures depicted scenes from cultural myths and religious events, rural bards and story tellers used the scrolls to preach and spread the myths and stories associated with religion. Artist Shambhu Acharya is the ninth generation of the family of practitioners of this art form, the first being Ramlochon Acharya.
Traditionally, the composition of Potchitras consists of placing the main character in the center of the composition, with the supporting characters placed in geometrics enclosures around the perimeters. The executions are simplistic and two-dimensional. The themes of Shambhus paintings include of Ramayan, Sree Krisna, Gazir Pat, Mahabharata, Manusha Mangal, Muharram, Rass leela and also various other themes from the local folk culture.
Shambhu creates his paintings using only local and natural materials like tamarind seeds, powder of brick, chalk, vermillion, egg yolk, and various kinds of earth colour such as gopi mati, tilok mati, dheu mati, ela mati etc.
Shambhu Acharya may be the only contemporary living Patua in Bangladesh who has devoted his career to Potchitra. He was born in 1954. Shambhu has the responsibility of carrying forward the family tradition of Potchitra, the practice of which is now no longer evident in general and there is always the possibility of this form dying out due to other career opportunities, increasing use of westerns techniques and themes in painting, and because of technology. He lives in the Munshiganj district of Bangladesh with his wife, three daughters and son, the latter being currently groomed to carry on the tradition.
The exhibition will remain open to all until July 20 and can be visited according to the following schedule: 9:30 am to 8 pm (Saturday to Thursday).
Where: Midas Center, Road 16 (old 27), Dhanmondi
When: Inauguration: 6pm,
July 8
