Artists push for dying hand-painted art at Tala Park
The Statesman | 16 September 2025But with the advent of modern technology, this picture has changed radically. Digital printing, flex banners, and bright LED sign boards, cost-effective and attractive, have taken over from hand-painted art.
As a result, many skilled artists have become unemployed. A profession that was once respected is now on the verge of disappearing. With this, a generation of artists is facing an uncertain and difficult future.
This is what Tala Park 15 Palli in north Kolkata is focusing on. Bibartan (evolution of change) has been shown at the pandal. Artist Gopal Biswas is highlighting the dying art form leading to hardships of thousands of artists. While at one place an empty workshop (tin shades) is shown with its empty frames (representative of the loss of work) and the empty boxes of paint and the ladder on one side. There are no takers.
Wall art or political graffiti on the walls is getting replaced by banners and flexs, which are cheap. Hand-written posters are no more in demand and considered tedious by the takers. “The theme explores if the world can again go back to the older art form to create space for these painters and artists,” Sonai Sarkar of the Puja Committee.
