THREE Generations is an exhibition at Drik presenting the works of Swapan Chowdhury and his family, tracing down from his mother.

Swapan works in many medias including oil, acrylic and mixed media. His favourite media is the mixed media because here he can best play with his emotions and attitudes. He usually takes nature as his subject in which he includes man. He says," For me there is no difference between an ant and a man. Seen from a distance from the top both are the same. The basic form is the same and they both feel the same pain."

"Nature-18" is a part of a series on spring. For him , during this time, nature appears to dance with joy. In the background is the red of happiness with semi abstract forms. The series of circular images that go from the right to the left in the painting in brown and black stand for leaves, birds, and fish. Thick splashes of vermilion lend variety to the texture and stand for both soothing and rough feelings within the artist.

"Nature-10" has a square divided into four parts in the centre of the paper that holds the nixed media where water colour, print and sketch have been included. The sketches include rectangles, oblongs and other spheres that are grey. The forms are continued into the background which are held together in a beige and mauve background.

Swapan says, "I don't try to tell a story in my paintings. My compositions are a decorations as I believe in 'art for art sake'. I believe in presenting colour and form in an attractive way. I feel the life of the painting is in its composition."

"Nature-8" has some raised line with forms that are touched with mauve, blue and dots of yellow. The purple bars and the touch of vermil- ion in the corner go to bring in what Swapan terms as a "dairy of a painter". Here the line stands for a bird's flight while the dots at the bottom stand for collecting fungus. Other lines and forms bring in swaying flowers.

Similarly "Nature-14" has a lot of orange and yellow in squares and rectangles along with circles and splashes bringing in clouds falling water and sunbursts to the mind . Eastern paisley motifs are carefully and minutely included. The canvas is divided into rectangular portions, all blending into one another. The artist says, "This depicts the end of spring with the outset of autumn. Here nature is seen as sun-washed and rain-washed."

One finds images of falling drops in "Nature-9" in a garden where one

detects leaves , stems which are simplified into geometrical forms and presented in shades of orange, black, red. This captures the dying light at the closing spring with the predominating black. Swapan says, "An artist does not have to present philosophies or ideas on sociology or economy. His prime work is to present something pleasing to the eye. Just as the 'sur' and 'taal' are vital for a song. An artist should not wait for the appreciation of the viewers. He should work what comes honestly within himself. He should work to satisfy himself and not what the buyers may want."

The exhibition also contains the prints of Swapan's son Shayan, who has recently completed his studies at Santiniketan. One of his works contains the Shayma dance-drama where the figures follow ancient folk motifs taken from books. While the background is in black, the figures are in black and white in linocut. The rest of Shayan's works are surrealistic and which have a clear message of telling a story through motifs. Thus in the lithograph "Stri" there is a woman's figure being strangled with vines with an iron at the back. Another noteworthy inclusion in the display is the photo-scope mixed media in which we see a dining man wrapped by yards of spaghetti, done

in brown, vermilion and yellow.

Also seen at the exhibit are the admirable "nakshikantha" by Swapan's mother, Jindupabha Debi with lions, tigers, elephants, boats, fish, flowers and human beings done in neat stitches. The fascinating embroidery work on fashion clothes , with embroidery following the works of great artists in the past in Europe, done by Swapan's daughter Sultana Mahmood, are also seen at the exhibit.

The display of the vibrant works of the different members of the family, coming down through generations, reflect the interest in art through the years in Swapan Chowdhury's home.