The Jaya Ganguly: A Retrospective, which is currently on display at the Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, is not just about displaying her artworks, but about displaying the collective voices of women who struggled to attain success. Anyone who knows about the artists’ works is familiar with the fact that the female figures, their struggles, endurances, challenges, and fights to carve a niche for themselves, forms the crux of her creativity. Through her works, which tell stories of memories, observation, and lived experiences, Jaya brings to the canvas the narratives behind the lives of hundreds of women in society.
Jaya Ganguly's artworks evolve from figures to abstract realism
Rakhi Sarkar, curator, tells us why now, more than ever, Jaya Ganguly’s works are so pertinent. “When she was growing up, women were coming out into the open world and taking up various professions. But for women to be able to do that, they went through tremendous struggle and fighting. And that is what Jaya has gone through—in society, at home, and also in her workplace. She had to confront a male chauvinist world. Her journey was difficult and full of struggles. There is a lot of inner turmoil, as if she is exposing the inner innards of struggle, sacrifice, and pain, which can be visually seen. She was, I would say, in India, one of the pioneers of feminist liberation through her work as an artist.”
Spread across a sprawling gallery, the works date from her college days to modern pieces. What is interesting is that the forms painted on the canvas during her earlier times were more structured despite having a rebellious tone. However, it was her later works that leaned more towards abstract realism through which she portrayed the struggles of a woman. Rakhi shares, “When we curate an exhibition, especially a solo or a retrospective, the chronology is important. It is because a viewer would like to get an idea of how an artist started and how they have evolved over the years. There is a sense of chronology, but within that, we bring in certain aspects like a series of portraits together. So, there is chronology and theme both.”
For Jaya, art has been instinctive and immersive. She mentions, “I often seek breakages and destruction which provide me with lasting insight and realisation.” This statement is clear enough for one to understand that she creates narrations that are full of pain, trauma, and are often called ‘grotesque’ on their own terms. But within those struggles, the silver lining of her powerful journey is a testament that hope and rebellion remain. While every journey may not be a bed of roses, if one keeps at it, success is inevitable, and inspiration for hundreds is what truly springs from those journeys.
Jaya Ganguly’s retrospective is on till June 13.
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