Artist : Bhaskar Chitrakar
Title : Kali-Kahlo
Medium : Fibreglass, sholapith, silk, etc
Size : 14" x 12" x 8"
Year : 2019
This absolutely unique piece is a fibreglass head of Frida Kahlo, painted and adorned in Bengali 'puja-pandal' style by the famous Kalighat artist Bhaskar Chitrakar. Using 'sholapith' (a local cork plant material used by the potters of Kalighat and Kumartuli) for the flowers and garland, and silk for the clothes, he has painted and designed the head to look like a Frida in Kalighat. This piece was visualised for a Frida Kahlo tribute art show called "My Own Muse". Bhaskar's Frida is not just an imaginary figure, she is a visitor to Kalighat who has assimilated its culture and attire and become one with her host country.