I t was the penultimate day of the exhibition and there wasn’t much time left for dusk to set in. On reaching Lalit Kala Bha-van, where a solo show by Trailokya Bordoloi was going on, we came to know that the exhibition had been extended, not by the artist himself but by the Kalakshetra authorities, following the good response the exhibition received during the bygone week.

The Kalaklshetra Society does not take away the decision to extend exhibitions on its own. The fact that it did on this occasion speaks of the interest the exhibition generated among viewers.

The art lovers were naturally drawn towards the large number of watercolours, in which the city-based artist from Jorhat beautifully painted vignettes of rural and city life, riversides, betel trees, bamboo, changing seasons, overcast skies and nostalgia-evoking pictures of childhood, with admirable finesse. Technical brilliance was the first aspect that caught our attention, as well as the ability to transform a simple scene from reality into a good work of art. Done in the traditional technique of transparency, the artist showed enough control over the fluidity of colours and created a dramatic air with the play of light and shade.

Trailokyo has done a commendable job with watercolour landscapes, but he has the ability to do a lot better. With the kind of expertise that he has, Trailokyo can certainly maximise his efforts instead of resting content with what he has achieved with his landscapes.

Beyond the terrain of his landscapes are the paintings where Trailokyo has dabbled with various styles, from the realistic to semi-abstract to the purest form of abstract art. So which of these styles are we to identify him with? Probably none, as of now, if we take the great variety into consideration and hence regard them as mere experimental events in his artistic journey, with the artist himself trying to find out that significant mode that’s closest to his soul. The works displayed in this exhibition, including the landscapes, belong to the very recent times, covering the last two-three years. Within the same period he has also ventured into the realm of abstract art, while the semi-abstract types too haven’t been excluded.

In the works done in semi-realistic mode, a prominent aspect has been the merged imageries which the artist has employed with an aim to convey a message. While the artist has got his basics right in the entire works, starting from the stage of planning to drawing to colour application with deft brushwork, it is this category where there is a conscious effort to emphasize the meaning part. Besides the superimposed imageries, the artist has also used the symbol of a spinning top hanging from a thread in a number of paintings, probably hinting at some existential irony. All-too-familiar motifs like yellow metal balls stuck on metaphorical walls, or spiral wiring of planes, also caught our attention. Trailokya has also tried his hand in pure abstract works, splashing and juxtaposing brilliant colours while apparently using no recognisable form. The stylistic variety within the same period is interesting. The artist must, however, display his evolution and that of his artistic styles with a fair bit of spontaneity.

Trailokya’s exhibition can nevertheless be termed a success, with several paintings being sold off. It’s remarkable, given that buying and selling works of art on this scale remains few and far between in this part of the country. We wish Trailokya more successes in the days to come.

d.bezbarua@yahoo.co.in

Debashish Bezbaruah