Bhupen Hazarika's brush strokes lost in time

GUWAHATI: For the diversity of artistic output Bhupen Hazarika had, his achievements as a doyen of music perhaps overshadowed his contributions to other fields.

Over a span of seven decades, Hazarika would make many paintings. Tracing them, however, has turned out to be a difficult job. With little effort to consolidate his art work, most of his paintings lie scattered across the state, acquired by discerning collectors at various points of time.

"I have seen two of his paintings. No one knows how much he painted. It was not circulated much," said noted Assamese artist Noni Borpujari. Long-time associate of Hazarika, musician Komol Kotoky felt the same. "Hazarika had created many paintings. But few exist now. I only have one from when he visited my house," he said.

The few existing and traceable paintings include one of a New York cab driver from Hazarika's visit to the United States in the 1950s, one of a famine- and disease-stricken Bengal, and an abstract painting of human faces. Another painting depicts an anguished face, which some thought was his own, for a college journal 'Digboloi' which Hazarika edited during his days at the Benares Hindu University in 1945.

Many feel this has to do with the sheer breadth of his creative output. A multi-faceted man, Hazarika composed music, worked on films, wrote poems and painted.

It is not that no attempt has been made to showcase the wide span of his talents. Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra (SSK) held a public exhibition of his works, covering almost all facets of his art. "I haven't seen any such initiative from all sides to find the art works. This could be a constructive step. As far as I know, some paintings are in the possession of Bhupenda's close friend Hemandra Prasad Barooah. But he passed away a few years ago. The painting exhibited at SSK was from Barooah's collection," said Padma Shri awardee Surjya Hazarika, who is the vice-chairman of SSK.

But that was five years ago. Not much has been done since then.

Individuals who have come to own Hazarika's artwork associate personal memories with them. "My parents had bought three of Bhupen da's paintings from his home in Kolkata. I have two paintings and one is with my brother in Delhi," said musician Pragyan Barua.

"The three paintings were brought by my parents from Bhupen da's home in Kolkata. They were lying under his bed. My father was a close friend of his and asked him about the paintings. Bhupen da told my father to take the paintings. I have two art works now and another one is in the possession of my brother in Delhi," said Barua.