CHENNAI: As the glass sculptures dipped in vibrant coastal tones of aqua blue, crimson and red adorning Forum Art Gallery catch the glimmer of sunlight streaming through the gallery, they radiate stories that are cast onto them — the story of a mother sitting in front of her children, a woman whose body is decorated with fruits and flowers and another human figure sitting inside a boat probably wondering how to navigate through life.
They all are part of the artist Sisir Sahana’s quest for life lesser known to him. The exhibition titled ‘Intangible Treasures’ thus unveils the experiences of the artist through carefully cast pieces of glass.
Lives in glass pieces
Even though his academic qualification is in painting, the artist has been handling glass since 1987. He says, “I first started with glass painting around 1995 and later I became interested in sculpting. When I started out, there was hardly anyone in India who used glass as a medium to make art.” With gurus like artists KG Subramanyan and Suhas Roy, Sisir understood that the perception of people’s lives as an artist is very different.
Hailing from Mangalpur village of Bankura district in West Bengal, he saw the struggles of the people around him from a young age. “My place is still a village. Even after a lot of years not much development has happened there. There can be a few visible changes in infrastructure or education of kids but the mindset of the people remains the same. There is still untouchability, caste differences and gender inequality,” he says.
To understand the issues of his village and other villages where he has lived more deeply, he would take long walks in the morning, shadow people from the marginalised communities and reflect on their life. “I am also a photographer and a filmmaker. While teaching at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, I would go around with my camera and understand the lives of the tribal people nearby,” he says, adding that women from the community have to work extra hard every day as they make decisions for the entire household. Through his exhibited artworks made on delicate glass pieces, he reflects the hidden strength and resilience of these women.
The figures also have a lot of fruits, vegetables and seeds inside them. The artist explains that it is his metaphor for life and fruitfulness. Through his works, he equates mothers as givers and symbols of the growth of a village, state or country.
For Forum Art Gallery, hosting ‘Intangible Treasures’ is a significant step toward promoting social consciousness through art. The gallery’s curator, Shalini Biswajit, believes that exhibiting such works shares the different perspectives artists have on life in general. The exhibition will be on display until July 29. Experience ‘Intangible Treasures’ as art transcends borders and emotions become tangible through the artist’s sculptures.
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