The Valley
of Astonishment and Bewilderment
This is the story of Mamoni Chitrakar, a Patachitra Artist from Naya Village, Pingla District, West Bengal. Patachitra is an ancient form of visual storytelling, accompanied by songs, where the painter is also the performer. Naya is home to over 250 Patachitra artists who have a vibrant client base across the world.
Covid brought everything to a grinding halt. As the world struggled to make sense of this unknown virus, no fires were lit in many of these homes, until the government intervened with free rations and medical aid. Once these basics were taken care of, people like Mamoni started receiving requests to record and share their songs over the telephone. WhatsApp calls opened them to the possibility of the visual element and slowly their classes, their workshops moved online, generating some income for them.
Today, Mamoni considers the Smart Phone as her ‘best friend’, who has helped her continue her work online, even though she misses the on-ground human interaction.
The Work
The Covid Pandemic has hugely impacted the handloom and handicraft sector in India. However, in all the gloom, they discovered the advantages of technology and understood the use of the Smartphone as a tool to access markets, to connect with other artisans, form networks amongst themselves, as well as forge links across borders with online training and workshops.
The documentary titled 'Confluence', shows how 'Traditional Patachitra Craft embraces Modern Technology'
Confluence - Traditional Patachitra Craft embraces Modern Technology The Valley of Astonishment and Bewilderment
The Process
The riot of colours that one sees on a Patachitra scroll has a context and background. In this video we explore what goes on behind the scenes, before even the story is thought out and painted. From the making of colours to the future of Patachitra, as Karishma is trained to carry forward this art form, this video covers it all.
Watch this video to find out who Mamoni, Sonali, Samir and Karishma are and how effortlessly they bridge the gap between the Old and the New, the Traditional and the Modern.
The Process Video The Valley of Astonishment and Bewilderment
The Gallery
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