Abanindranath Tagore

Tagged

Abanindranath Thakur/Tagore (1872-1951) was a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. His grandfather and his elder brother, Gaganendranath Tagore, were also artists.

Chita/jhoti/Odisha

Odisha chita/jhoti, "Temples of Bhubaneswar " — part 3

Getting to know the city of Bhubaneswar starts with the exploration of its temples nestled in the four corners of a booming city. In the taxi that took me to the shrines, I noticed the profusion of plants, sculptures and murals with various themes that lined the city streets.

Alpana/alpona Bengal

Bengal alpona, Santiniketan photographic memories

A collection of photographs on the graphic art of alpona from former students and teachers of Santiniketan in Bengal.

Pongal/Tamil harvest festival

Pongal festival, the Chettiar way — part 3

Finally, it is Pongal, and I can't wait to see the preparations in the house. The women unleash their creativity by adorning the earthen and bronze vessels. The kolam stands out once the rice paste has dried, and is ready to welcome the celebration with an auspicious Ganesha portrait.

Bibliography/Ephemeral art

Bengal alpona, "Books and references"

A selection of books on alpona written by researchers, alpona artists, and art lovers. Some paintings inspired by alpona.

Makara Sankranti/Poush Sankranti

Bengal alpona, "Poush Sankranti at Sumitra’s home" — part 4

Drawings on the walls include agricultural tools, kitchen utensils, lotuses, fish, birds, abstract human figures, divine feet, mangoes, betel leaves, a palanquin, a pot of vermilion, arm ornaments and circular granaries.

Alpana/alpona Bengal

Alpona: Images and Symbols of Bengali Women

In Bengal, ephemeral designs are called alpona, alpana or alimpan and are associated with rituals called brata performed by women during festivals.

Chantal Jumel

How it all began

As a child I dreamed of becoming a dancer or an actress, a musician or a painter, and my favourite book was “Contes et légendes de l’Inde”. The images showed black and white men in turbans, an assembly of bonzes, a man with an elephant face and characters with numerous arms and heads.