
As we entered the exhibition hall at Alipore Museum, the entire space felt alive and vibrant with the many artworks on display. It was the opening of Flower of Fire: The Life & Art of Gopal Ghose, curated by DAG. Probably a one-of-its-kind and first ever retrospective work done on the artist who made landscape his prominent field of work, the exhibition showcases almost 125+ artworks from 1930s to 1980s. This exhibition which was previously on display in New Delhi and Mumbai has now travelled to the City of Joy and would be on display till March 23, 2025.
What makes it so easy to work with Ghose’s archival and research materials is the large amount of journal entries made by him which leaves many-first hand facts and information to work with. The exhibition itself has been divided into five sections with his artworks spanning over five decades, but more importantly one can spot distinct techniques and methods used during that span.
While majority of Ghose’s works are characterized by landscapes with the rare presence of human form, some of his works have on the other hand focused on the surroundings and micro-observations existing in a landscape like the flora and fauna. Interestingly, a lot of his earlier works have a prominent use of line drawings or sketches but what stays throughout his works is the vibrant use of colours. His main medium of work was always the paper which was a very economic and portable medium to deal with barring a few rare canvases. The exhibition displays his work ranging from watercolours, gouache, pastels, oil on canvas and some rare sketches in pencil. His extensive travels from Jaipur to Madras and back to Kolkata have further enhanced his observation of various landscapes which find distinctive reflections throughout his work.
Flower of Fire: The Life & Art of Gopal Ghose, also for the first time puts on display archival materials like a letter addressed to him by Rabindranath Tagore, his personal journals and sketchbooks. His extensive journal entries also give an insight into the working of his mind and his opinions on politics, philosophy, education, relationships and more highlighting his writing prowess along with his artistic genius.
Like every new endeavor of the DAG to gift the city’s newer generation an unknown glimpse into the history and heritage of the community, this art exhibition too is an insightful one about Ghose whose works simple yet layered definitely need to be noticed by contemporary audience. And what more, Ghose was instrumental in revolting against the Union Jack in his youth making the Alipore Museum which stands as a living piece of history in the heart of the city symbolising revolution, the perfect venue for hosting the exhibition.