Mail News Service
Jamshedpur: When artists gather in Jamshedpur, how can they forget Ratan Tata — the visionary behind this city? The lush lawn of the Forest Department’s Guest House on Payal Cinema Road in Mango was buzzing with creative energy on Friday morning. Sketches were turning into paintings, colours were blending into forms and imaginations were flowing freely.
One corner showed a couple sitting beneath a tree in a romantic pose, while in another, an artist was giving the finishing touches to a painting of Goddess Bhavani. Some artists were busy adjusting canvas stands, while others sipped tea and debated ideas for their next creation.
This vibrant scene unfolded at the National Art Camp, a four-day event organised by Anviti, the art institution founded by noted city painter Mukta Gupta. The camp, which runs until November 9, has brought together 25 artists from across India — including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Karnataka.
Each artist works on an open theme, guided only by their imagination. Some are painting tributes to the late industrialist Ratan Tata, while others are exploring spiritual or social ideas. Among the most thought-provoking works is one by Dipankar Karmakar from Ranchi. His painting portrays a man cutting a tree, fixing an electric fan to it and sitting on one of its branches working on a laptop — a striking metaphor for modern hypocrisy. “People want development, even at the cost of destroying nature,” says Karmakar, whose work criticises the intellectual elite’s apathy toward environmental balance.
Another highlight is the portrait of Ratan Tata by Dr. Mallikarjun Bagodi Kalburgi from Karnataka. “Before coming to Jamshedpur, I had already decided to paint Ratan Tata and his vision for this city,” he says. His canvas not only depicts Tata’s likeness but also integrates the spirit of Jamshedpur — the city he envisioned and nurtured.
The camp also features artists like R. Akhilesh from Bhopal, Ramanuj Shekhar from Ranchi, Joydev Chatterjee, Biplab Roy, Ashok Kumar Maity, Krishna Mahato and Ranjit Kumar from Bokaro, among others. Visitors can witness their creations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Forest Department Guest House.
There’s much to see — and even more to understand — about art, nature and the human condition.
