DON'T MISS: 'Dreamer' Mamata through her paintings

With Mamata Banerjee's lyrical verses being translated into English for the first time and her paintings getting published into a book form, the artist in the politician is now trying to reach out to people outside her home state of West Bengal.

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Revealing her little known poetic side, 'Earthsong' has Banerjee, known for her fiery oratory, seeking her share out of nature's bounty.

The collection of 56 poems translated into English from Bengali by Nandini Sengupta are intertwined with a selection of her latest paintings in sync with the mood set out in the verses.

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Published by Delhi-based Roli Books, it is for the first time that her poems have been translated.

A regular writer and painter, Mamata has of late been looking at a wider audience for her artworks.

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All her four painting exhibitions were so far held in Kolkata but last October, the maverick chief minister's work went abroad for the first time.

'Flower Power' was auctioned for charity in New York for $3000.

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The diverse bouquet of poems and paintings in the new anthology shows how her heart beats not only for the people of the country but also for the wide expanse of nature around her -- the degradation of air, water, trees and fauna move her just as deeply.

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Banerjee discovers the oneness of human beings with nature as she writes, "Not all tunes can be set to song, not all flowers bloom fragrant, not all trees bend over with leaves, not every heart has a humane beat".

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Sharing her unbridled love for nature, Bannerjee writes on the beauty of a full moon night, seasons, rivers, oceans and flowers as readers come face to face with the emotions bubbling behind her stoic political persona.

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The rabble rouser's yearning for peace amidst strife is reflected in the following stanza, "Give me back my peace of mind, Give me a chance at life, Give back the green shoots of hope, That were mind before the strife".

Each line invokes Didi's desire to rise above the pain and lead her countrymen towards a new dawn of humanity, liberty, and equality.

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"The writer of these poems is a leader of a state, yet the poetry continues to create a place for itself in her heart and in her writing. Readers will feel that truth of themselves as they read this anthology," eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami writes in the forward of the book.

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The paintings rise from her heart in abstract lines and spontaneous colours, cascading into the canvas. Although nature, flowers, plants and trees are her primary subjects, a number of birds and animals also enter the fray in varied forms and hues.

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The canvas comes alive with her unrestricted brushstrokes and unfettered use of colour.

"Though her work can be compared to those of expressionistic artists, her brush strokes create textures that transform the subject from mere line-drawings into something quite unique. Her paintings reflect an innocent but self-confident artistic psychology," says city-based painter Shuvaprasanna.

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He opines that her art and creativity expresses the abstract but intelligible freedom of her sub-conscious mind.

Last month, her fourth painting exhibition titled 'A Dreamer's Creation' with nearly 250 frames with nature as the main theme, was sold out for about Rs 50 lakh at the Town Hall in Kolkata.

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