Our outbound train journey from Kolkata to Hyderabad took us thirty hours. Neck cricking bouts of sleep were intermingled with a kilo of Bombay mix, the telegraph crossword and it's nonsensical clues and a staggered run of clapping, hip shaking transvestites. I sat for hours staring out the window, transfixed by the passing scenery; my mind transgressed with the ever changing landscape. I lamented on my time so far in India, my initial trepidations of teaching and my rather irrational fear of children for that matter. I had been desperate to cling on to something of purpose, anxious I hadn't brought anything of value and there was an unremitting feeling that I was out of my depth. I would describe myself as an individual who relies on structure, who likes to plan, I may even go as far as to say I suffer a little from OCD (I blame my mother!!)I soon realised, upon arrival that all the planning had been completely pointless; things worked differently here. My first reaction to the archaic way of doing things was frustration (in retrospect my fervour was most likely partly caused and spurred on by the relentless heat of Kolkata) However, much to my surprise, after a continuous run of being yanked out of my comfort zone, I realised that I had overcome all my previous fears and I let go of my silly pretenses and hang ups. To hear that kids were actually enjoying my art classes was extremely encouraging, enthusiasm replaced dread and my confidence with the children improved tenfold.
Throughout my time teaching art, one girl in particular caught my eye - Baby Roy, a fourteen year old girl, originally from Assam, now living at the PBK girls home. Her drawings and paintings were remarkable and pretty much surpassed anything I'd ever seen from a fourteen year old. I was very keen to incorporate some of her work into 'A Brush with Monsoon' - Hope's debut exhibition held at the newly developed Gallery Cafe. To see her art hung alongside the likes of Wasim Kapoor and Babita Das, two revered and internationally acclaimed artists from Kolkata was wonderful, what's more, to have people buying her paintings was fantastic. 'Mother and Daughter' by Baby Roy
Baby's story - like most of her counterparts living in the home - is an unhappy one and I hope that her painting can perhaps offer her more than just a remedial pastime. When I was fourteen, I would have had no hesitation in saying I wanted to become an artist, it was my dream and that was that; it was and still is a liberty which, while working for Hope, I realised did not always transcend cultures and up till now I had taken completely for granted. I don't know if Baby even considers it a possibility, whether she's already dismissed it as a complete fantasy or doesn't even realise it's an option. Now, apparently the Indian constitution has outlawed caste discrimination but from my experience the social restrictions of the caste system still reside even in the most cosmopolitan of cities like Kolkata. Another privilege we take completely for granted, bar the social prejudices, is the financial harness of loans and grants provided by our government (one could argue the case that loans and bursaries are in all honesty the bain of our western existence but at least there is a system in place that allows one to attempt to live their dreams whatever their background, sex or religion) Baby is bright and a very conscientious student. She has been faced with the brutality and crudeness of life from an early age, which would sober the most enthusiastic of souls. I fear she will forever look at painting and drawing as just a hobby. I would like to think that she at least has a platform or leverage where the Gallery Cafe is concerned and that she may be encouraged to submit and showcase more of her superb talent. Gallery Cafe received it's official inauguration on Saturday 25th of July. The lead up to it was a lot more work than I originally expected and was thrilled to see it all go to plan on the day. With an array of artwork on the walls, lit and hung by the new hanging system and nifty light fittings, custom made mishti, pakorra and chocolate shortbread, as well as a number of glamorous celebrities, journalists and Wasim Kapoor painting live in front of an audience,
the overall event was a success!! There had been moments when I didn't think it would ever materialise, moments when I had been racked with guilt as to all the money I was wasting. But it did materialise, and as I sat on the train to Hyderabad I realised how much I loved every bit of my experience. My Nana says you may not necessarily like everything and everyone but you should love everything and everyone - to be fair, I really had no idea what that meant, till at that point. I love Kolkata, I love its people, I love what I've done in Kolkata and I love what I have gotten.So as we chugged towards Hyderabad with great anticipation and symptoms of DVT, I could not help feeling a certain sense of fulfillment and although I was looking forward to my travels, I knew I would miss Kolkata. It is an experience I will never forget and this may sound extraordinarily cheesy but it has changed me..........and I'm more than certain it's for the better.
