`The proceeds from the show will be shared with Nanhi Jaan, a Tricity-based NGO that works towards the medical treatment of underprivileged children…reports Asian Lite News
A small format art show, bringing 105 artists showcasing more than 200 artworks opened in the city at ‘105arts Gallery’ on Saturday.
Artists with differing ethos, themes, and mediums convey their signature style in a 12-inch by 12-inch canvas in this exhibit conceived and conceptualised by artist and sculptor, Nagesh Goud and curated by Mehak Bhan.
The proceeds from the show will be shared with Nanhi Jaan, a Tricity-based NGO that works towards the medical treatment of underprivileged children.
Mehak Bhan, curator, ‘105arts Gallery’ said that the show is a first on many levels, especially on a structural level to exhibit the humongous number of artists and artworks under one roof. “Each work of art gives an opportunity to escape into a ‘one foot by one foot’ wonderland. Collectively, the artists and their works more than justify the title of the show. The exhibition has been a game changer on many levels for a young art gallery like us.”
“Not only were there a humungous number of artists to interact with, but there was also a huge number of artworks, their curation, and display. It has been a lot of hard work yet intensely rewarding. The exhibition offers an affordable chance to either start or build upon your art collection from a selection of works from renowned artists. Also, the small size of the works makes them the right fit for homes and offices of all sizes,” she added.
At the Festival, Italy will showcase IL FIL’ARMONICO, which will be performed by Teatro Tages/Agostino Cacciabue/Rita Xaxa and directed by Agostino Cacciabue. The performance will present stories and comic vignettes, inspired by puppeteer Cacciabue’s own life…reports Asian Lite News
The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival is back for its 19th edition this year, and will take place from February 14 to 20 at the India Habitat Centre in the national capital, and February 13 to 16 at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh. Produced by Teamwork Arts, it is largely supported by the Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust.
First launched in 2001, the International Puppet Festival brings together puppeteers, artists, and performers from around the globe to celebrate storytelling through puppetry. This year, it is set to showcase a diverse range of storylines and techniques.
Alongside puppeteers from India, there will be performers from countries, including Holland, Hungary, Italy and Korea. Festival Director and Founder of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, Dadi D. Pudumjee said, “India’s longest-running puppet festival has returned after a gap of three years due to the pandemic. We are expecting to see those who want to enter the fantastic world of the willing suspension of disbelief. This year, there will be many puppet shows that will take you to a world of fantasy… for instance, India will present ‘Aisha’s Journey’, a performance that has been adapted from a Swedish children’s book.”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts added, “The 19th Ishara International Puppet Festival brings together productions from India and abroad. Over the years, the Festival has created opportunities for training, storytelling and innovation, leading to a vibrant and contemporary language of puppetry in India.”
At the Festival, Italy will showcase IL FIL’ARMONICO, which will be performed by Teatro Tages/Agostino Cacciabue/Rita Xaxa and directed by Agostino Cacciabue. The performance will present stories and comic vignettes, inspired by puppeteer Cacciabue’s own life.
A Korean performance by Theatre Sangsahwa will present ‘Korea Puppet Fantasy’, directed by Bonsuk Kim. The performance will show Korea’s rich cultural heritage. Puppets, dance and music will blend together and pay homage to Korea’s past, present and future.
From Hungary, the Kamfor Musical Puppet Theatre will be presenting a performance titled ‘The Dragon and the Devil’, based on traditional Hungarian folktales. This performance will transport the audience to a spellbinding world full of magic, adventure, and mystery. In addition, the Netherlands will bring ‘Jan Klaassen, Katrijin and the Crown of King William Alexander’, performed and directed by Frans Hakkemars –straight from the land of the windmills and Van Gogh, it’s a unique celebration of Dutch culture.
More than a hundred international puppetry groups have already performed at the Festival. The list includes the US, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Afghanistan, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Ireland, Iran and Australia.
This was the grand generation that strived to achieve excellence in art and succeeded in placing India on the international art map…reports Asian Lite News
The Dhoomimal Gallery will present ‘Raza and His Contemporaries, drawn from the Ravi Jain Collection of modern Indian art from February 7 to March 10 at its gallery in New Delhi.
The exhibition has been curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, art historian and author of the recent biography ‘Sayed Haider Raza: The Journey of an Iconic Artist’.
Dhoomimal Gallery presents Raza and His Contemporaries
Boasting of works of 20 significant artists who played a crucial role in overthrowing notions of academic art and creating a strong bid for the liberalizing of practices and shaping modernism in Indian art, the exhibition celebrates S.H. Raza’s achievements as well as those of his contemporaries in the Progressive Artists Group, including Sayed Haider Raza, M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza, K.H. Ara, S. Bakre and H.A. Gade, and the simultaneous emergence of other influential artists of his time such as J. Swaminathan, K.G. Subramanyan, Pradosh Dasgupta, Biren De, Jamini Roy, Zarina Hashmi, and others.
This was the grand generation that strived to achieve excellence in art and succeeded in placing India on the international art map.
Dhoomimal Gallery presents Raza and His Contemporaries
The exhibition focuses on Raza, in his centenary year, as one of the main initiators of the Progressive Artists Group, and explores the richly diverse voices and influences that coloured Indian modernism. It traces Raza’s sweeps of brilliance from primary colours and sizzling Bindu’s to his rise in the international art world in Paris to become a household name in Indian art.
Speaking on the exhibition, Yashodhara Dalmia, the curator, says: “This highlights some of the foremost modern artists in the country and reveals their contribution to the development of art. In doing so, it carves the path that art was to take in the decades that followed. Among these, the artist S.H. Raza was one of the leading contributors with his blazing paintings which in their incandescent use of colour and their reflection of the world outside were skilled in themselves and relevant for the viewer.”
Adding that the exhibition presents a new conversation with 20 significant artists who shaped modernism in Indian art, celebrating Raza’s achievements alongside those of his contemporaries in the Progressive Artists Group and the simultaneous emergence of other influential artists of his time, Uday Jain, Director, Dhoomimal Gallery, said: “The exhibition design will also play an important role in the show, inviting viewers to engage in deeper conversations, many for the first time, with the diverse voices of Indian modern art, and reflect on their relevance today.”
Apart from being a high ranking diplomat , Ackermann is also a popular art historian and he added that the creative works of Indian artists are amazing…reports Asian Lite News
The Kochi Muziris Biennale ranks among the best when it comes to premier art events in the world according, to Dr Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India, who is also an art historian.
This is the fifth edition of the Biennale and will run till April.
“The innovative creations invoke a strong sense of vigour and vitality while the artists have attempted to churn out progressive political statements through their works using boundless imagination. The reactive and thought-provoking works are open to interpretations and help create a new awareness among viewers. This is not just another art exhibition,” said Ackermann.
Kochi Biennale among the best in the world : German AmbassadorKochi Biennale among the best in the world : German AmbassadorKochi Biennale among the best in the world : German Ambassador
Apart from being a high ranking diplomat , Ackermann is also a popular art historian and he added that the creative works of Indian artists are amazing.
“The Kochi Biennale is curated in a clear and implicit manner. The native artists too deserve special applause for their distinctive and creative aesthetic artworks,” added Ackermann, and pointed out that Kerala can surely be proud of holding the art grandeur.
The fifth edition of the Kochi Biennale is now back with a bang after a four year hiatus that features over 200 projects of 90 artists.
Air India Express gets new tail art
The Air India Express has unveiled a new tail art developed at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and installed on Boeing 737-800 aircraft VT-AXN.
The 25-feet-long tail art is an adaptation of an original acrylic painting by artist G.S.Smitha that depicts a parallel timeline through the planes of memory, recreating colorful landscapes filled with chameleons, grasshoppers, micro-organisms and aquatic creatures.
According to soures, the metaphysical painting simultaneously reveals the enigma of tiny creatures and the enormity of hills and flowerbeds.
The unveiling event took place at a hangar of Air India Engineering Services Limited situated at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the occasion of Republic day.
P.A. Mohamed Riyas, State Minister of Public Works and Tourism who unveiled it said, back in 1935, Mr Tata’s first plane landed in this very Thiruvananathapuram international airport and we have seen many such milestones in Kerala.
“The vibrant tail art that carries the culture of India and this unique partnership between Air India Express and Kochi Biennale shows their commitment to art and culture,” said Riyas.
The 5th edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale festival, which began in December 2022 will continue till April 2023. It’s Asia’s largest contemporary art festival and Air India and Air India Express are the official travel partners for the festival.
Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India Express said, “Kochi – Muziriz Biennale has emerged as one of its kind art event in the country, and by placing a piece of art developed by Biennale on our aircraft, we take the spirit of Biennale to the overseas. I am sure this will go a long way strengthening the tourism potential of this art event.”
Stressing that the Hindi film industry is extremely inclusive and has never been discriminated against owing to his sexual orientation, Onir adds the only roadblocks he has faced have arisen owing to the fact that he could not work on many ideas as they were not perceived as commercially viable…writes Sukant Deepak
While he had no plans to write a biography, thinking it was too early for him to do that, the fact that he never had a ‘reference point’ when it came to being “gay and proud” while growing up, pushed filmmaker Onir to pen ‘I Am Onir and I am Gay: A Memoir’.
“During the pandemic-induced lockdowns, my sister, who is the co-author pushed me to do it. Although we have always been close, the exercise of writing the memoir brought us closer. In fact, there were a lot of things she remembered better than me, especially from our childhood. She also got to discover several aspects of my life she was not aware of,” he tells at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival being organised by Teamwork Arts.
Adding that it was not really ‘catharsis’ that he experienced post finishing the book, the filmmaker, who won the National Award for the movie ‘I Am’ and made ‘My Brother Nikhil’, says it was nice revisiting his life as one seldom gets to do that.
“Writing the memoir gave me a chance to reflect upon different stages of my life and elements that have shaped me.”
Stressing that the Hindi film industry is extremely inclusive and has never been discriminated against owing to his sexual orientation, Onir adds the only roadblocks he has faced have arisen owing to the fact that he could not work on many ideas as they were not perceived as commercially viable.
“It was more to do with the subjects I wanted to explore as a filmmaker than me as a queer person.”
While he keeps hearing that his movies have been much ahead of their times– with ‘My Brother Nikhil’ being made in 2005, Onir says that the movie cemented his reputation as a filmmaker and he is glad that he was the ‘first one’ and not part of a herd.
“So, the problem is not with me but the world around. I cannot step back because people may not be ready. Works of filmmakers like Guru Dutt or Ritwik Ghatak we celebrate now were not accepted when they were made — not to say I am anywhere close to them. And I do not feel I am the only one. However, seeing that even after 17 years, my movies are still on platforms, it is much more empowering than immediate gratification.”
Though when it comes to OTT platforms, the filmmaker feels we use the word ‘revolution’ too casually and quickly. Citing the optimism among independent filmmakers when multiplexes mushroomed, he says one is witnessing digital platforms heavily tilted towards content that will get maximum eyeballs.
“Were they not perceived to empower independent filmmakers? Now, they are looking at movies with star power. Not saying that they do not have the right to get more numbers, but what is stopping them to support a few independent movies? Recently, I was presenting an award-winning Manipuri film but no platform was ready to accept it. Why, is Manipur not us?”
Currently working on his next movie ‘Pine Cone’, a story of a gay man through three decades of his life, the filmmaker says he started writing the movie after the sequel to ‘I Am’, titled ‘We Are’ ran into controversy and was rejected by the Ministry of Defence.
“It is a film that celebrates queer desire and has bits from my book.”
Believing that unless dialogues happen, acceptance towards anything that is perceived as not being mainstream will remain low, he adds, “Precisely why we need more narratives. It is only then that we can expect things to change,” he concludes.
A beautiful fusion of Indian ghazals with European orchestration. Recorded live at Liszt Academy, produced by solo violinist Deepak Pandit; singers: Pratibha Singh Baghel, Kavya Limaye; flautist Paras Nath & the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kálmán Szennai. Film director: Imre Szabó-Stein
From the musical heart of Budapest’s Liszt Academy, Indian star vocalist, Pratibha Singh Baghel stands centre-stage in the Grand Hall wearing a magnificent blue and white dress which gently sways as she moves closer to the microphone, preparing to sing. Conductor Kálmán Szennai readies The Budapest Symphony Orchestra, while violin virtuoso Deepak Pandit is moments away from bringing compositions and melodies to fruition that he has poured his creative genius into. On stage, the musicians prepare to give magical life to one of the oldest forms of poetry, ghazals.
‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ is a beautiful fusion of Indian ghazals and romantic songs or thumris, with European orchestration. Composed and produced by one of India’s most respected violin virtuosos, Deepak Pandit, ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ brings together a rare combination of musicians and lead vocalists. The celebrated Indian film singer, Pratibha Singh Baghel and Indian TV reality star, Kavya Limaye are accompanied by the full power and finesse of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and master guest musicians.
Grand Hall Preparing To Perform @Judit Marjai
Ghazals – pronounced ‘guzzle’ – belong to a genre of poetry and are not a musical form yet lend themselves to being performed in either a classical format with minimal musical accompaniment or, as on ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’, arranged to be sung with an orchestra. Featuring a collection from India’s finest ghazals, romantic thumris and film songs, the album presents themes of joy, sorrow, love, loss and separation as well as the bhajan or devotional song ‘Krishna’.
The making of ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ was a dream come true for visionary composer, Deepak Pandit. Supported by the Sufiscore music label, Deepak was able to bring his full creative vision to light with the excellence of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. A creative team of more than forty musicians, singers, sound engineers and film technicians collaborated to simultaneously perform and record the songs as both an album and film project. As Deepak Pandit says, “I really enjoyed working on this project as all the musicians and singers from both India and Budapest were outstanding. I have recorded the Budapest symphony in a couple of my albums in the recent past, they are highly professional, passionate and skilful. Your life becomes easier when you know the music you have created will be played with utmost perfection specially as we performed live.”
The multi-award-winning Hungarian film and art director, Imre Szabó-Stein was Sufiscore’s perfect choice to create a dramatic and impactful film. Imre Szabó-Stein’s film industry awards include the prestigious Venice TV Golden Lion award for Performance Arts in 2020 for ‘Concerto Budapest & Kremerata Baltica Concert film for Mezzo TV’. This two-hour classical concert music featured the Grammy Award-winning European ensemble Kremerata Baltica led by Gidon Kremer and the renowned Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Sound recording producer Gustáv Bárány and lead sound recording engineer, Gergely Lakatos ensured perfect sound replication from within the resplendent walls of Liszt Academy’s Grand Hall.
Pratibha Singh Baghel’s golden voice weaves an emotional landscape throughout ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’. As the album’s lead vocalist, Pratibha delivers the perfect balance of warmth and intensity for songs. The opening ghazal on the album is ‘Ajab Apna Hota’ – If Only We Had Been Together, was written during the ‘Golden Era’ of Urdu poetry by the 19th century poet, Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi. In this ghazal, Daagh Dehlvi ponders how he would be if he were to actually experience union with his beloved.
The ghazal ‘Lutf Wo Ishq Mein’ – The Joys & Sorrows Of Love brings together many elements central to the album: Pratibha Singh Bhagel’s vocals, bansuri flautist master, Paras Nath; pianist Santosh Mulekar; Gaurav Vaswani on keyboards, tabla master Prashant Sonagra with Swaranjay Dhumal on percussion. ‘Lutf Wo Ishq Mein’ was also penned by the revered poet, Daagh Dehlvi.
Thumris expressing both joy and sorrow also feature on ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ including Pratibha Singh Baghel’s emotive performance on ‘More Angana’ – Joyous Love Pouring Down On Me, in which a young woman newly in love anticipates marital bliss pouring down like rain.
Indian reality TV star, Kavya Limaye, a finalist on ‘The Voice India Kids’ and participant in Season 13 of SonyLIV’s Indian Idol is now a well-established vocal star. Kavya Limaye performs on ‘Aisa lagta hai’ – You Seem To Be My Life and the devotional song or bhajan ‘Krishna’ – Lord Krishna. Penned by the 20th century Indian poet Bashir Badr, ‘Aisa lagta hai’ follows a theme of hope and joy that comes from a new love. ‘Aisa lagta hai’ was originally composed and popularised by the legendary Indian ghazal singer, composer and musician, Jagjit Singh.
Film songs in South Asia have always absorbed some of the best material from classical, folk as well as many well-known ghazals and other forms of Urdu poetry. Pratibha Singh Baghel shines on the album’s film songs: ‘Ae Dil Kisi Ki Yaad Mein’ – The Restless Heart and ‘Ganga’. ‘Ae Dil Kisi Ki Yaad Mein’ was penned by the late, renowned Pakistani Urdu poet, Qateel Shifai and originally featured in the 1963 film, ‘Ik Tera Sahara’. Ganga’ was penned by the Indian poet and filmmaker, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and featured in the 2003 action-drama film ‘Gangajal’. The song questions why the river goes on flowing in the midst of so much suffering.
All the tracks on ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ feature the majestic sounds of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kálmán Szennai. Established in 1945 by the Hungarian State Railways, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra has developed an international reputation with performances at prestigious venues from Vienna’s Große Musikvereinssaal, The Philharmonie Berlin to Amsterdam’s The Concertgebouw.
Sufiscore assembled a team of creative experts with one purpose: to create a beautiful and lasting piece of ghazal history in the heart of Budapest, and in this they have succeeded admirably. ‘Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart Of Budapest’ releases internationally through Sufiscore on the 27th January, 2023.
Lo Res Ghazals And Thumris From The Musical Heart of BudapestLo Res Ghazals And Thumris From The Musical Heart of BudapestGrand Hall Preparing To Perform @Judit MarjaiPratibha Singh Baghel @Judit Marjai Pratibha Singh Baghel and Deepak Pandit @Judit MarjaiPratibha Singh Baghel @Judit Marjai Kavya Limaye @Judit MarjaiBudapest Symphony Orchestra, Kálmán Szennai, Paras Nath, Pratibha Singh Baghel and Deepak Pandit @Judit MarjaiParas Nath @Judit Marjai Tabla Player Prashant Sonagra @Judit MarjaiParas Nath, Kálmán Szennai, Kavya Limaye and Deepak Pandit with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra @Judit MarjaiPianist Santosh Mulekar @Judit MarjaiPratibha Singh Baghel with Deepak Pandit @Judit Marjai
The foundation, which runs its own art gallery, has an education project aimed at bringing people closer to contemporary art…reports Asian Lite News
A delegation of 100 women entrepreneurs who are members of FLO, the women’s chapter of FICCI (Federation of India Chamber of Commerce and Industries) paid a visit to the ongoing fifth edition of the Kochi Biennale, being held here at multiple venues.
The group, led by Jayshree Menon, Chairperson, had an unforgettable experience as they benefitted immensely from the aesthetic value of the thought-provoking creations on display.
“The visit aims to empower women in the field of art learning,” said Menon.
100 women members of FICCI at Kochi Biennale.
“The members of FLO, which runs many charity organisations, will be inspired to work towards the betterment of society after being influenced by the rich ideas presented here,” she added.
The Bengaluru-based FLO chair said that “such artworks enable the audience to find meaning at levels beyond the scope of thoughts. That such a diverse exhibition of art is being held in my own country is a rich experience in life”.
The delegation’s visit was coordinated by T.S. Prasad, Director of the Sandeep and Gitanjali Maini Foundation, Bengaluru, with a focus on art, heritage, and culture.
The foundation, which runs its own art gallery, has an education project aimed at bringing people closer to contemporary art.
Pak-Myanmar reflections
Artistic presentations reflecting the life of the commons in neighbouring Pakistan and Myanmar during certain periods in history are receiving praise at the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
While photographs and a video installation belonging to renowned photographer and filmmaker Madiha Aijaz, who died in 2019, bring out the many faces of life in Pakistan, the clicks of Min Ma Naing, a Myanmar native who sought refuge in America, reveal the living conditions of people in Myanmar.
The works of Madiha Aijaz on display include five series of photographs and one video installation with Karachi as the background since it is the most densely populated and religiously, racially, and linguistically diverse city in Pakistan.
The presentation helps viewers experience the changes happening at various levels in the region, and the interaction with the subjects. The theme gets unravelled through the portrayal of public places like railways, trading centres, places of worship, and public libraries.
In the video installation ‘These Silences Are All The Words’, the social environment around libraries as explained by the librarians are depicted.
The shift from Urdu to English and its consequences are all explained here.
The untimely death of Madiha due to a heart attack at the age of 38 shocked the art and cultural scene of not only Pakistan but of the international community.
Through the photograph series ‘Forces of Change’ and ‘But In My Dreams’ which complement one another, Min Ma Naing does a probe into how three decades of authoritarian rule affected the lives of people both within the country and of those who were forced to flee.
Through ‘Forces of Change’ those from different realms of life including business persons, social activists, and writers who were willing to fight for freedom are being presented.
Those forced to flee and seek refuge in America appear in ‘But In My Dreams’.
A return to the homeland remains a dream for them.
A potent commentary on the times we live in, complete with darkness, alienation, and desires, the author tells that for an average family in India, the possessiveness towards the kitchen is akin to wars that take place for land and its resources…writes Sukant Deepak
He speaks slowly, and weighs words. Pauses. Insists that meanings are found in the ones not spoken and amidst spaces left blank. That when sentences feel lonely, hanging in a vacuum — they assume a new identity.
Author Khalid Jawed’s ‘The Paradise of Food’ (‘Nemat Khana’), translated by Baran Farooqi from Urdu which won the JCB Prize for Literature in 2022 is not just the story of Hafizuddin Mohammad Babar living in the crumbling ancient house or about vegetables, onions or garlic. Nor the four women, all named Anjum, he spends his life with. Neither just about what the author calls the most brutal battlefield in the house — the kitchen.
A potent commentary on the times we live in, complete with darkness, alienation, and desires, the author tells that for an average family in India, the possessiveness towards the kitchen is akin to wars that take place for land and its resources.
“There is a lot of good related to food, but let us not forget the darker side. It can be a cause of violence, fights, and a metaphor for unimaginable greed and lust… Sometimes I feel food is maybe the only universal language. The things we talk about, we use our tongue and teeth, the same elements we use for eating. The speech and eating organs are related to each other.”
Someone who believes that serious literature facilitates insights with poetic tools, and does not preach (“moral lessons are for children”), Jawed adds that everything need not be in plain sight. He however feels that today’s audience is just not trained for serious literature. “We live in a time where soap operas/entertaining literature thrive. Even the media seems to be an entertainment playground,” he laments.
Stressing that it is important that create a strong bridge, facilitated by serious critics, between writers and readers, the author says the writer’s work is to write from his/her subconscious mind. “If the writer continues to care whether people can understand it, he would not be able to strive for creative excellence.”
The writer, for who divorcing alienation and darkness is “unthinkable” in his fiction says everything is derived from the subconscious, that memories make us. “And someone has to write about the gloom that lurks in our soul, that slowly envelops everything around. “Let us not forget that even when there is light, the shadows constantly remind us that the sun will set.”
Stressing we tend to celebrate mostly Urdu poetry and not prose, Jawed opines that it is like having a feudal approach towards the language. “When Urdu is talked about it’s only about ghazals. But like other languages, Urdu also has multiple traditions that must meet the world, and that will happen only when it is translated.”
The author, who has been widely translated into English feels that unless a talented translator and major English publishing house step in, an Indian language book may not be able to pierce the haze. “You can reach the meaning through translation, but that is not important in high literature. It is the ways in which we reach the meaning that is paramount. Precisely why brilliant translators must exist.”
An Associate Professor of Urdu at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, Jawed feels that over the years, there has been a marked difference in the kind of students enrolling at the undergraduate level. “They are not multi-lingual and not proficient in English and Hindi, something that is bound to affect translations from Urdu in the long run.”
Lamenting that the entire Urdu ecosystem needs an overhaul, he says: “Look at Urdu newspapers. Leave alone the fact that they are full of mistakes, all they are concentrating on is minority issues. They will need to have a wider perspective and a more inclusive approach in order to educate their readers and have a stronger voice.”
Stressing that awards like the JCB are important considering the same lead to a massive jump in readership for an author, the author whose latest ‘Arsalan Aur Behzad’ is now out in Urdu, adds: “They maintain honesty and transparency, and the jury deals with things deeply. ‘The Paradise of Food’ is not an easy book, there are no easily decipherable ‘local’ themes.”
The illustration comprises five segments which symbolically reflect the different faces of the cultural and social conditions in the lives of the minority tribal sect Ogonis, who are natives of the Niger river valley in the South of Nigeria.…reports Asian Lite News
A contemporary art illustration by the daughter of noted writer and environmental-human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was hanged by the Nigerian military dictatorship nearly three decades back, raising inspiring memories of her father is among the notable works on display at the fifth edition of the ongoing Kochi Muziris Biennale, here.
Zina Saro-Wiwa is a firm follower of her father who was martyred on November 10, 1995, for his uncompromising loyalty towards nature and the exploited.
This is evident in the illustration ‘Holy Star Boys’.
The illustration comprises five segments which symbolically reflect the different faces of the cultural and social conditions in the lives of the minority tribal sect Ogonis, who are natives of the Niger river valley in the South of Nigeria.
The Niger river valley is notorious for the destruction that came as a result of extreme environmental pollution and exploitation.
Zina brings out the condition of Niger river valley inhabitants through two human forms bearing the mask of the Ogoni people, resembling that of a deer, through her work ‘Holy Star Boys’, many varied notions and intuitions take shape in the minds of the viewers.
Nigerian military dictatorship reverberates at Kochi BiennaleNigerian military dictatorship reverberates at Kochi BiennaleNigerian military dictatorship reverberates at Kochi Biennale
The illustration in Lightbox C-print provokes thoughts on the impact that modernization has on traditional culture, the dilution it causes, the dual standards, estrangement, and the universal biological principles.
“Holy Star Boys’ is a blend of those estranged in their homeland,” says Zina Saro-Wiwa.
While the memory of Ken Saro-Wiwa lives on through his work as an environmental-human rights activist, poet, writer, and journalist, daughter Zina has attained fame through her video installations, documentaries, music videos, and experimental films.
A former journalist with the BBC, the 47-year-old carries on her activities based out of Brooklyn.
Born to a Japanese mother and American father, who met at Yale University, the author recalls being ‘different’ with both of them, and she would code switch, something that has helped with her fiction too…writes Sukant Deepak
“When I was the age of my protagonists, I was a mess. I was suicidal, depressed, and anxious and survival came through writing. If you suffer and you are a writer, it gives you something to write about. I just cannot think of any literary work that does not involve suffering,” Ruth Ozeki, winner of the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction for ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ and Man Booker Prize shortlisted author (‘A Tale for the Time Being’), tells.
Also a Soto Zen Buddhist, Ozeki, who teaches Creative Writing at Smith College in the US, started practicing Zen, around the same time when writing happened to her, the two practices ‘grew up’ together. Admitting that initially she thought them to be separate but slowly realised that they supported each other in a deep symbiotic way.
“And both require inward looking from the practitioner. Meditation is looking deep inside and releasing a sense of self, something that fiction writing is. The characters are not me, but a part of me too. I feel they are like aspects of the same practice,” says the author, who is attending the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival organised by Teamwork Arts.
For someone who believes in ‘entering’ writing through sense, Ozeki teaches her writing students how to meditate. She says that even though we think about meditation as something we do with our mind, it is like a physical practice — and something done with the body.
“My feeling is if students overthink — when they just focus on the mind, it does not really work. The reason fiction communicates with readers is that it is an embodied experience. A lot of students get fixated only on the sense of sight, but I try to get them to practice with the different senses.”
Born to a Japanese mother and American father, who met at Yale University, the author recalls being ‘different’ with both of them, and she would code switch, something that has helped with her fiction too.
Writing has always been a redemptive and healing process for her. “When I set out to write a book, it is because something has happened to me or something that I have done has caused much grief. Remorse can be a wonderful place to start writing from,” she feels.
The author of ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ feels emptiness is ‘sunyata’ the former is not really a great translation of the latter. For her, emptiness is the understanding that everything is transient and impermanent, that we do not have a fixed identity and are always changing, and is in fact dependent arising.
Ozeki, who as a teenager suffered anxiety and depression, talking about the character Benny (‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’) who hears voices feels it would be really helpful for young people to see mental illness presented in a way that offers them alternatives to the psycho-pharmaceutical biomedical model.
“We talk about it as mental illness, but I prefer to think about it as psychic diversity. After all, we all have depression; underlying or not. However, in America, it is not alright to suffer, and you need to ‘fix it’. But depression is a sane way to respond to things, no? I feel youngsters need to be assured that suffering is part of human nature, it is just one part of the spectrum of emotions and does not necessarily need to be fixed, but be worked with.”
