Abhisarika
2009
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
2009
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Abhisarika is a 2009 paint by Kalam Patua, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting is called Abhisarika, made by Kalam Patua in 2009. It's a Kalighat painting that shows a theme of secret lovers meeting at night. The story behind it is about a woman who bravely meets her lover, even if it's dangerous, and it's interesting because it mixes old traditions with modern things like mobile phones. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of Kalam Patua.
The painting depicts a female figure in a Bengali sari, rendered in Kalam Patua's signature pastel lilac tones with a black border, navigating a moonlit scene. A mobile phone illuminates her path, contrasting sharply with the deep blue night background, while a shadowy car in the distance suggests the presence of a lover. A face peering from a window hints at the inevitability of discovery in such clandestine encounters. The work reinterprets the traditional theme of *abhisarika*, or the fearless heroine’s nocturnal journey, within a modern context.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Kalam Patua worked on Calcutta’s streets for years, painting tiny Kalighat scrolls that fit in your palm—like pocket-sized stories.
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