Wash painting workshop at SVCFA from tomorrow

A workshop on traditional wash painting technique will be held from July 13 at Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts (SVCFA) in Madhapur from Monday. The workshop will be inaugurated by the college principal Vani Devi. Wash painting process was first introduced by Abanindranath Tagore by amalgamating Indian Tempera process and Chinese Wash technique, according to faculty members at the college.

Abanindranath, a nephew of Gurudev, is credited with the founding of ‘Indian Society of Oriental Art' besides being the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art, thereby founding the influential Bengal School of Art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting.

Tagore, who also wrote for children, subsequently introduced the new technique in Bengal School of Art in collaboration with E B Havell. The Bengal School, which emerged as an influential art movement, was also associated with Indian Nationalism. Artists of the extraordinary calibre of Nandalal Bose, MAR Chughtai, Debi Prasad Roychoudhury, Sunayani Devi (sister of Abanindranath Tagore) and Kshitindranath Majumdar, among others, were quick to adopt and propagate the vibrant wash painting style.

'Bharat Mata' wash painting by Abanindranath Tagore stands foremost in this genre. Budding artistes from the city will get a taste of the unique style during the workshop by eminent contemporary wash painting artist Goutam Pal from West Bengal. The freelance artist also teaches in Sloka, the Hyderabad Waldorf School in Jubilee Hills. According to those associated with Pal, he is hugely gifted who works take shape in his sensitive mind that helps him in intricate detailing of day-to-day life.

They get reflected in the multilayered cross references of signs and symbols that vary between the anthropological and fictional. Following the traditions of the eclectic art practice that emerged in Shantiniketan, Pal is presently exploring new possibilities in the narrative traditions based on both Indian and Far Eastern principles.

A gifted artist, he had a five-year BFA merit scholarship at Visva Bharati from 2005 to 2009. He completed MFA in the next few years.The workshop will be followed by a talk and presentation on Bengal Wash painting by Biswajit Roy and Debosmita Samanta, faculty members of the college, from 11am on July 18, the day the five-day workshop will conclude.