Jamini Roy : Carved Contours, Dhoomimal Gallery

Uma Nair

Jamini Roy’s works speak to us about social consciousness and the indomitable human spirit.If we look at his work as an overview there is no illusion ,only the simplicity of the images -the power of gesture and poise.If we view it in the social construct and structure, his sensitivity and compassion for the Santhals exerts an influence on the nature of human relations and man’s choice of subjects. His way of perceiving social structure and creating gods and goddesses out of their bronzed bodies is a statement of great humanism-for the concepts ,beliefs,images and evaluations.He was creating a subtle statement of social character through metaphoric moorings.He also gave us a class structure that was neither patriarchal nor matriarchal-it was balanced.His love for the environment is seen in the alpanas he created and the little birds and beasts he embellished as solo symbolisms or as groups with the little gods.You can look at these works in this historic collection and never be tired-you can also recall the eternal words of Karl Marx when he said: ‘ It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that determines their consciousness.’