BELA BANERJEE (INDIAN, B. 20TH CENTURY)

PORTRAIT OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN TRADITIONAL ATTIRE, 1987
SILKSCREEN / SCREENPRINT ON PAPER, EDITION 9/19
NUMBERED, TITLED AND SIGNED IN PENCIL ALONG THE LOWER MARGIN: '9/19 SILKSCREEN BELA '87'
22 X 15 INCHES (55.9 X 38.1 CM)

AN EXCEPTIONAL AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE LATE 20TH-CENTURY INDIAN PRINTMAKING MOVEMENT, THIS HAND-PULLED SILKSCREEN SHOWCASES THE EARLY GRAPHIC BRILLIANCE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTIST BELA BANERJEE. EXECUTED IN 1987, THE WORK EMERGES FROM A PIVOTAL PERIOD IN MODERN INDIAN ART, WHEN GRADUATES OF PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS THE GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF ART & CRAFT IN KOLKATA, WERE ACTIVELY EXPERIMENTING WITH WESTERN PRINT MEDIUMS TO RECONTEXTUALIZE REGIONAL CULTURAL IDENTITY.

THE PORTRAIT DEPICTS A STRIKING SUBJECT RENDERED IN AN INTRICATE, POINTILLIST-STYLE INK APPLICATION THAT GIVES THE FACE AN EVOCATIVE, TACTILE DEPTH. THE INDIVIDUAL IS ADORNED WITH A VIBRANT, SOLID ORANGE HEADBAND THAT DYNAMICALLY CUTS ACROSS THE COMPOSITION, CONTRASTING BEAUTIFULLY AGAINST THE DETAILED, STENCILED PATTERNS OF THE GARMENT. THE COLLAR FEATURES METICULOUS RED AND BLACK MOTIFS MIMICKING TRADITIONAL REGIONAL FOLK EMBROIDERY, HIGHLIGHTING BANERJEE'S LIFELONG AFFINITY FOR INDIGENOUS INDIAN TEXTILE CRAFTS AND HERITAGE.

THIS IMPRESSION IS NUMBERED 9/19 AND SIGNED AND DATED IN PENCIL ALONG THE LOWER MARGIN.