Beauty in Unity

Renowned Italian architect, professor and artist Nicola Strippoli Tarshito loves to relay unity among all the forms of art. A three-week solo exhibition by the artist is going to be inaugurated at Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery of Bangladesh National Museum on November 19. This is his second solo show in Bangladesh. In January 2015, Bengal Foundation organised his first solo exhibition. In a recent conversation with The Daily Star, Tarshito shared his artistic conscience and talked about his artworks. Excerpts:

“I would like to showcase some works accomplished in Bangladesh as part of my deep homage to the tradition of Bangladesh, because in this part of the world, we have a lot of beautiful traditions and multifarious languages and expressions of unique culture. I look for the soul of the nation through the works of traditional artisans of Bangladesh, who are simple in attitude. There lies a beautiful unity and I am interested to find, touch and smell this kind of unity. This tradition contains deep norms and values. I did a lot of works themed on the concept in India and Nepal, and for the last two years in Bangladesh where I met the beautiful Nakshikantha artistes. I was greatly impressed to see the fine craftsmanship among the female artisans of Jessore and Dhaka.”

“Unity and love is the driving force of the people of Bangladesh. Apart from the Bangladeshi cultural heritage, the traditional aspects of Gujarat (India) and Africa charm me a lot. I believe that life is like a boat on earth. On board of my inner boat, I can go deeper into my soul. Then, I can see the eyes of the people. The eyes represent the windows of the soul through which I feel such a unity that resemble 'You are me and I am you'. Sometimes I go to work with the indigenous people. And through this experience I can envisage the picture of the past. The simplicity of that life redefines my intellectual edifice that helps me shake off entire ego taking the very simple path of life -- full of light and love.

“Several new and big (3m-14m) art pieces will be displayed at the November show. My work portrays the huge procession of life that beckons the fullness and the unity for a new world. If the rays of light reach the heart, it ennobles our soul. The work showcases man, woman and animal in the search for light, the beauty of life.“ 

A harmony between human beings and nature lies in Tarshito's painting. One can easily perceive the influence of indigenous heritage of different countries in his works. Nature, people, daily life, as well as some mapping can be seen in his works and the use of Nakshikantha lends an added dimension and brings his works to life.

Although his work is contemporary in outlook, Tarshito has been successful in retaining the essence of traditional art, giving it a somewhat grounding effect. It's almost as if an implicit understanding is reached between the contemporary and the traditional.