From memory to modernity: Shiphra Bhattacharjee’s ‘In Bloom’ blossoms at KCC

The exhibition, curated by her daughter Jonaki Bhattacharya, traces Shipra's artistic journey over five decades, reflecting not only her evolution as an artist but also as a conscious observer of society.

It showcases her works in striking visual detail, revealing how her artistic expression evolved alongside changing social, cultural and political landscapes. In many ways, the curation offers viewers a visual journey through the transformation of her consciousness as both an artist and a woman.

Notable invitees, including painter Shipra Bhattacharya, inaugurated the exhibition.

The exhibition returned home to Kolkata after being showcased in Delhi a few months ago. The retrospective features 86 paintings along with a few sculptures, meticulously placed throughout the venue. People (1984), positioned at the entrance, presents four intertwined human figures and sets the tone for an exhibition that repeatedly returns to themes of human relationships, memory and identity.

Other notable works include Kolkata (2016), which brings her roots to the forefront, Floating (2020), and politically charged paintings such as Taposhi (2008), inspired by the death of 18-year-old Taposhi Malik during the Singur land movement. Together, these works underscore her artistic journey from the personal to the political.

Actress and ex-MP Moon Moon Sen poses with one of the exhibition's sculptures. /Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman of Obetee and Makaibari Tea Estate, was the chief guest at the exhibition.

Reflecting on bringing In Bloom to Kolkata after its Delhi showing, Bhattacharya told IBNS: "I had my first showing in Delhi, but friends and colleagues suggested that I bring the exhibition to my hometown, Kolkata. However, my artwork has always been better received outside Kolkata, as I have noticed a greater enthusiasm for art in Delhi compared to Kolkata."

Kolkata-based installation artist Narayan Sinha spoke about the exhibition's sense of gender fluidity and freedom, noting that its engagement with themes such as gender, war and resistance makes it especially relevant in the present day.

Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman of Obetee and Makaibari Tea Estate, said, "Kolkata should have a place which recognises art in such a spectacular way," adding that "urban development is not development, but the art that goes within the development."

Alokananda Roy (Dancer-Choreographer) and notable guests at KCC for the opening

Shipra Bhattacharya is one of India's leading contemporary figurative artists. Over a career spanning more than five decades, she has explored themes of womanhood, agency, politics, identity and the human condition through a distinctive visual language. While each painting stands on its own artistic merit, together they create a compelling visual narrative of an artist's evolution across half a century.

The retrospective will remain open until July 24 at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, allowing visitors to explore and interpret five decades of Shipra Bhattacharya's artistic journey through paintings and sculptures. The exhibition is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm, except on Sundays.

(Reporting by Swastik Sarkar, images by Ditsa Dutta)