Abundant Art Gallery, London, and Kolkata-based Maya Art Space are now hosting A Walk in Time, an exhibition of celebrated photographer Sunil K Dutt’s many fascinating pictures of Mother Teresa and the City of Joy, Kolkata.
Curated by up-and-coming photographer Bivas Bhattacharjee, this exhibition will showcase 43 images from Dutt’s oeuvre of more than 25,000 works, spanning several decades.
Sunil Dutt has been an encouraging and inspiring personality for admirers of art and photography for many years now. “I had always wanted to hold a compact exhibition of his work on Kolkata and Mother Teresa for a while, and therefore, we decided to organise it as a tribute to him,” says the owner of Maya Art Space, Madhuchhanda Sen.
In the 330 years for which it has existed, Kolkata hasn’t failed to besot people everywhere. The City of Joy with all its poignance, has always been a fascinating subject for lovers of history and tradition. For decades, many people have tried to capture in frames this city’s old-world charm, with its decadence, tradition, splendour and glory. Ace photographer Sunil K Dutt stands as an exception among all of them.
Best-known for chronicling Mother Teresa’s life and death, 78-year-old Dutt has captured the whims and fancies of Kolkata like no one else, and is acclaimed for his vignettes of life in the city.
With his creative eye, Dutt has captured the romance of the beautiful colonial architecture, and its crumbling streets that speak of the faded glamour of British India’s capital city till 1911, known then as Calcutta. His photographs explore the charming characters of Kolkata’s many streets, bylanes, alleys, tea stalls and street corners that lend the city its unique character.
The exhibition is the first in several years to exclusively present Dutt’s lens view on Kolkata and Mother Teresa. In fact, this will be the first of a series of international shows of Dutt’s work, set to be held in London, Italy, France and other European countries. Notably, the photographs are all in monochrome. Dutt explains, “I prefer shooting in black and white, as it is challenging. In just simple light and shade, you have to bring out the entire range of colours, tones and textures.”
At Maya Art Space, Rajdanga, December 13 to 23, 2 pm-8 pm. Autographed prints available.
@sharmidas