Odrishyo shikol / Hostage by Shyamsree Lahiri (acrylic on board, 16" x 12")
Created and exhibited in May 2023 at the Ashutosh Birth Centenary Hall of the Indian Museum-Kolkata, on the occasion of 162nd birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore; inaugurated by the Honorable Governor of West Bengal Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose. The artwork was retained in the custody of the Museum after the exhibition.
Most of us celebrate Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore for his prolific literary legacy and the establishment of art and culture hubs such as the Viswa Bharati Open University, Shantiniketan. However, relatively few are aware that during his lifetime, he also created well over 2200 artworks – a prodigious output by any standard!
In Odrishyo shikol / Hostage, Shyamsree has drawn inspiration from some of Tagore’s signature artworks such as the exotic bird and presents a contemporary interpretation of the couple in an exuberantly scenic setting far away from their mundane daily life. The irony is that both travellers are pre-occupied with their mobile handsets not only ignoring the spectacular view but also remaining completely oblivious of a rare mystical bird perched right above them in plain sight.
The work is inspired by the thought and insight that Tagore penned as a gift for the eight-year-old Satyajit Ray, that still holds poignantly relevant in this age of technological obsession. The gist of the poem underlies the irony of people travelling to faraway lands in the quest of beauty; oblivious to the exquisite beauty of a dewdrop glistening on a blade of grass a few steps from their very own home.