From Album: An exhibition of bronzes ‘Babu & Bibi ‘ by Lalu Prasad Shaw

With the advent of Bengal  Renaissance  changes occurred in every sphere of the society. This change was also  reflected in the field of art and culture . The artists’ thoughts and expressions had a wider spectrum  and there was more scope for experimentation. This was a new era in Indian Art. This environment of cultural and artistic experimentation  gave rise to many artists,  each of whom are known  for their work  and contribution to Indian  art even to this day. Lalu Prasad Shaw is one of the artists who  has enriched  our world with his works.


He could work in both the figurative and abstract  style with equal ease and expertise. Breaking the conventional forms came just as easily to him as did staying within the structural norms. His work  can be considered as a documentation of the people’s struggles, joys, their lifestyles and the relationship between the Babus and their Bibis or wives. His  simplistic images with very strong  lines represents the art of Bengal. Lalu Prasad’s interests in trying out new forms and openness to experimentation goes back a long way . His urge for trying  something new inspired him to give ‘life’ to the  characters of his paintings and see them in different forms – the sculptures. While working on Babu- Bibi sculptures he was quiet cautious about not letting them look like dolls and the simplistic characteristics  of his paintings  must be captured  in every  way in the three- dimensional form and not be less than his original work. With  skilled  precision  in his artistry,  he has succeeded  in capturing  their  opulence,  egotist and lethargic nature. The perfect blend of his fine artistic expression and expert skill can be seen in his sculptures and this will remain an asset for Indian Art for time immemorial. 

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