Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

wall of CESC Patuli substation has been painted to represent and highlight the work of the artisans of Kumartuli — creating a strikingly vibrant image that compels passers-by to stop and take notice. It is a 75-feet mural - the tallest of Kolkata. The mural was created by Pune-based artist Afzan Pirzade and commissioned by St+art India (an organisation that creates public art projects), in partnership with Asian Paints, in December 2021. “St+art India had run an online campaign asking people to volunteer naked walls that could be beautified. The CESC Substation in Patuli was ultimately selected, and they roped me in,” says decided that he wanted to select something that would instill a sense of pride in people. After scouring the internet, Pirzade came across the magic of Kumartuli. “I had never heard of or seen something like this before. Outside Kolkata, we appreciate Durga Puja, but we never get to know the people that make the idols. I decided to study the artisans, their com...

An untitled Tagore painting of a “couple”, from the 1930s, was auctioned by Christie’s on September 22, with a price estimate of between $120,000 and $180,000 (Rs 88 lakh-Rs 1.3 crore). But, the said painting was sold out at the price of Rs. 4.7 Crore ($637,500). The name of the buyer although not disclosed.  The painting was acquired directly from Rabindranath Tagore by Edith Andreae, a literary executor and editor of the works of her brother, Walther Rathenau, and her banker husband in Berlin, Friedrich. It was passed on in the Rathenau family as an heirloom. Rathenau was a German industrialist, writer and liberal He considered the painting as “a national treasure”, the painting, mixed media on paper laid on card, measures 56.8cm x 45.7cm, “considerably larger than most of his works”. Christie’s tells prospective buyers that although Tagore “is still best known for his poetry and songs, his importance as an artist was recognised when he became one of nine painters designat...

The Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA). As the cultural capital of India, Kolkata is defined by its blend of the traditional... Read On ikonotv Click here to read the full story --