National 10 (Spotlight Weekly)

Faces Of Time

Popular cartoonist Durga Baral, alias Batsayan, has come out with heart-rending paintings depicting the human tragedy of conflict

By THAKUR AMGAI

As the country is marred by incessant violence, paintings hung on the walls of the Siddhartha Art Gallery (SAG) speak of the poignant consequences of the conflict. Artist Durga Baral, who is more widely known as cartoonist Batsayan has put his feelings about the conflict-ridden situation of the country on canvass prompting the viewers to give up indifference and think and act from their part towards ending violence.

Baral, who, as a cartoonist saw humor in virtually everything and 'taught us to laugh at ourselves during the last two decades' in the words of Kunda Dixit, the chief editor of the Himal Media and the chief guest of the inaugural function of the exhibition, has resorted to colors and canvass to express his hurt feelings. Habituated to 'teasing' everyone and alerting the powers-that-be through his sarcastic cartoons, Baral, now has alerted the group indifferent to the situation of conflict through his paintings.

After 21 years, he has once again taken up brushes to express what he could not do with his cartoons. His last exhibition 'chowk ra tamsuk' in 1983 had collected similar applaud from the audience then prompting the critics to say that the contemporary artists have been pushed backwards by a decade, according to Sarubhakta Shrestha, a renowned litterateur based in Pokhara.

Probably inspired by the dictum, when words fail, images work, Baral has sought the help of images to express the human tragedy of conflict. In his paintings, there is no humor, no satire, no sarcasm only feelings. Hurt feelings of an artist towards the deteriorating situation of the country. Time has changed its face from the peaceful country of innocent people to a series of violence and counter violence. Baral has captured the face of the time that shows gesture of grief amid the bloodshed and brutality.

Describing the paintings as 'beautiful' might not be very proper given what is presented in the arts. However, undoubtedly, the paintings portray the characters very precisely. The orphaned children, bereaved mothers, widowed wives and the grieved neighborhood all cry, scream and 'appeal for help' in the same language. The portraits of the deceased, often just a few months after their marriage, speak of their unfulfilled dreams in tragedy. Their end of life rendering the end of aspirations of the bereaved.

There is an overwhelming sense of sadness as one walks through the floors of the gallery watching the paintings. The artist has been able to compel the viewers to ponder. Although, the artist claims that there is no political posturing in the exhibition, if the leaders of the warring sides were to see the paintings they would probably repent on their actions.

The paintings take the viewers to the ailing Rolpa-Rukum and other places where the brutal killings take place and then to the grief-stricken families where the family members are desperately calling for help to establish peace.

The collage of newspaper cuttings with the news of disappearances, deaths, injuries and the likes in the middle of handcuffed and tied hostage, sorrow stricken spouse, would not leave any viewer without pain.

Baral who had been able to make people smile even at the oddest hours has been able to trigger the sensitivity of city dwellers this time. As Sangita Thapa, curator of Siddhartha Art Gallery, said, during the inauguration of the exhibition, the art questions the indifference of the city dwellers when their motherland is soaked with the bloods of her own children warring against each other.

Baral feels paintings express what cartoons cannot. After looking at his first painting exhibition playwright late Bal Krishna Sama had said, "I did not know another Salvador Dali (famous international artist) was born in Nepal."

Asked why a cartoonist expressing sarcasms and humor came out with such sensitizing expressions, Baral answered, "When the country is going through such a troublesome period, hearts of the artists hurt. This is just an expression of the aching heart of an artist." But why not through cartoons?

"Cartoons cannot express that much sensitivity," added Baral.