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Hidden Artist Initiative, Santiniketan (2026)

07/04/2026

জিরান

জিরান (বিশ্রাম / rest) is a local Bengali word meaning "rest." We are glad to invite people to come and discover a beautiful outdoor installation structure by Bimalananda Ray. Bimalananda Ray is a multidisciplinary practicing artist based in Santiniketan. He mostly uses natural found objects and antique turning instruments that are no longer used in agriculture, as new machines easily appear in this global contemporary era. Bimalananda has been fascinated with using this kind of material for the last 15–20 years. It is a compelling way to produce works of art with natural materials. Bimalananda Ray does not think about permanency; he always speaks about impermanence, which is mainly inspired by Buddhist philosophy. He always takes on the challenge of creating extremely large, gigantic sculptural installations that feel very natural, where one finds no artificiality, and where both rural and educated people can easily discover a philosophy of life. Bimalananda Ray says his work is a kind of milestone in the contemporary era, where everyone is part of the rat race, everyone is busy achieving their own goals, and no one thinks about others who live on the planet—only about how he or she can achieve success, and will do anything for that. Alternatively, capitalist society always provokes us in our daily life, which makes everything spiral out of control for ordinary people in our society. Bimalananda invites people to his beautiful sculptural pieces of work, where they can refine their own roots.

Important note: It is a site‑specific, alternative space where people can take rest, meditate, or silently do any alternative silent activity without disturbing any other person. For example, playing your own silent instrument (mouth organ, violin, sitar, guitar, dotara). We do not allow any kind of loud instrument. Anyone can write, read, draw, sleep, etc., or perform any kind of silent dance/movement that does not disturb others. If you wish to interact, please contact us for more details. We look forward to seeing you soon.

11th–19th April
Morning: 6:00 am – 8:00 am
Evening: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

For details, please contact: Ph. 6295430851 or [email protected]

Venue: Rathindrapally, Santiniketan, near Nava Rachana School.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

16/02/2026

Some glimpses of today’s performance.

দ্য

INDU

‘ল’

Theatre Cottage, Dawranda, Birbhum district.

The play is written by Tirtharaj Tribedi and is based on an old story from the British colonial era.

Thank you to all of you who were a part of this project directly & indirectly. Socially, students, you did really rock-solid work, especially today (without any rehearsal) with how you performed on stage. It’s really unbelievable. Special thanks to the entire Bahurupi Artist community, without whom it wouldn’t have been possible to conduct this beautiful project. Thank you to Srishti Manipal Institute for believing in us and sending your students to Santiniketan. It’s really appreciable. Thank you to all our theatre performance team, musicians, and Partha Gupta.

HAI always tries to do new collaborations with the young generation of art practitioners. We don’t know how much we can deliver, but we believe this is the beginning of our journey. We hope we will do some incredible projects in the near future.”

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

31/01/2026

You are warmly invited to attend our upcoming theatre collaboration with Bahurupi Artists and various practitioners on 15th February 2026 ,5:30pm at Theatre Cottage, Dwaronda, Santiniketan, Birbhum District, West Bengal.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

e

19/01/2026

Thank you & congratulate Suswagata Chatterjee, Krishna K. Prabhakaran & HAI, for presenting a wonderful show. This show is not only a group exhibition; it’s more than an exhibition. Students came to participate with different parts of Bengal art institutions.Some of them are very renowned & new institutions . Students brought their college legacy with different queries. This curiosity makes for the new dialogues & discourse.

We invited different experts from all over India, who are very renowned & distinguished people. They spoke about their experiences, which is very important for today’s context, where students also spoke with experts about their own inquiries & experiences.

This show will continue until January 26th. If you are in Santiniketan, please do visit & encourage the young artists.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team
#

16/01/2026

Happy to share our upcoming collaborative project with Srishti Manipal University & HAI. (a collaboration with Bahurupi artist community)
It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with new students, the Bahurupi artist community, and other practitioners. It’s a mostly research-based project where students can visit, research, learn from them, share, and investigate for documentation. Students come from different disciplines and bring some experience for developing their own individual projects in the next phase.

Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology (SMI)—formerly known as Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology—has pioneered transdisciplinary art and design pedagogy for nearly three decades. Srishti educates artists, designers and practitioners with an aim to inspire and encourage creativity. Integrating practice, performance, research and experimental pedagogy has enabled Srishti students always to remain ahead of the curve.

Look forward for sharing more details soon.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

#

07/01/2026

Hello everyone,
Meet our young curators,
Krishna K. Prabhakaran
and
Suswagata Chatterjee.

You are warmly invited to our upcoming group exhibition, “New Exhibition,” from January 19th to 26th, 2026, at the Kala Bhavan Nandan Gallery.

Krishna K. Prabhakaran
originally hails from the coastal city of Kozhikode, Kerala.Having completed her BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Kerala, and an MA from the Department of Indian and World Literatures at EFLU Hyderabad, she is currently pursuing her final year of an MFA in History of Art at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan.
Alongside her studies, she is engaged in an ongoing archival research project and is also an illustrator and mixed-media artist.

Suswagata Chatterjee
is a visual art practitioner and art history student. Currently pursuing an MFA in History of Art at Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, she holds a Postgraduate Diploma in History of Art from Kala Bhavana and a BFA from the College of Art and Design, Burdwan.
As a visual art practitioner, Suswagata’s work is based on her own life's journey, experiences, emotions, and circumstances. She depicts this journey from a feminist point of view. She has exhibited his work in Abir India 2024 and holds deep interests in archives, documentation, cultural studies, and art aesthetics.

This show focuses on final-year and recently graduated students from art colleges across Bengal. Featuring the work of more than 15 artists from different institutions, we hope it will be a great experience for all.

This is not just an exhibition; it is a space for new conversation, sharing, exchange, and building friendships among students from different colleges. Our aim is to collaborate with the new generation of artists to explore new dimensions in contemporary art.

If you are in Santiniketan, please do come and encourage these emerging talents. We hope you will discover new perspectives in art.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

07/01/2026

We are happy to share our upcoming talk & conversation series with eminent Artist-pedagogue professor Pankaj Panwar.

Topic: Art Education: Present and Future
Venue: Kala Bhavana Nandan Gallery
Date: 20th January 2026
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

This talk series is part of the exhibition PHERA DEKHA.
If you are in the surroundings, please join us, or write to [email protected].

Pankaj Panwar is a distinguished Indian sculptor and academic, whose career is marked by prestigious training, international recognition, and significant contributions to the arts.
He received his fine arts education from three seminal institutions: Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan; M.S. University, Baroda; and the Royal College of Art, London. This strong foundation is complemented by a remarkable array of awards, including the National Award from the Lalit Kala Akademi, the Henry Moore Fellowship (U.K.), a French Government Scholarship, and the Uttam Samman in Kolkata.

Panwar’s practice has a global footprint, with participation in curated exhibitions and workshops worldwide. His work has been featured in events such as the India Festival in China, the ‘Edge to Desire’ Indian-Italian contemporary art show, the ‘Sun Rises in the East’ exhibition in Austria, and international symposiums in Turkey, China, Scotland, and Thailand.
Beyond his studio practice, he holds several influential advisory roles. He is a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA), serves on advisory committees for the Government of West Bengal and NCERT, New Delhi, and acts as an external expert for professor selection boards at universities in Bangladesh.

Currently, Pankaj Panwar is a Professor in the Department of Sculpture at his alma mater, Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, where he continues to live and work in Santiniketan.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

05/01/2026

We are happy to share our upcoming talk & conversation series with eminent artist-pedagogy professor Suresh B V.

Topic: Art Education: Present and Future
Venue: Kala Bhavana Nandan Gallery
Date: 20th January 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

This talk series is part of the exhibition PHERA DEKHA.
If you are in the surroundings, please join us, or write to [email protected].

Suresh B V
Professor Suresh B V is a visual artist and educator whose career spans several decades. He has produced a number of paradigmatic works, has taught as a full-time faculty member at M S University, Baroda, and later at the Department of Fine Arts, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad.

Professor Suresh holds an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London (1985–87), following his post-diploma and diploma studies in Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda (1979–85), and earlier formal training at Ken School of Arts, Bangalore (1976–78).

His solo exhibitions include Canes of Wrath at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2018); Chronicles of Silence (2015) at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, and Sumukha Gallery, Bangalore; Khamoshi Ki Daastan (2015) at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda; and Facilitating the Beast (2006) at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi.

Beyond his exhibitions, Professor Suresh has been actively engaged in collaborative projects with fellow artists and theatre practitioners. He has illustrated children’s books, participated in art camps, and conducted numerous workshops on video and intermedia arts in educational institutions.

He is currently based in Hyderabad, where he continues to contribute to the academic and creative community as a Visiting Professor (post-retirement) at the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team
highlight

31/12/2025

Invitation to a Group Exhibition

Hello everyone,

You are warmly invited to our upcoming group exhibition, “ New Exhibition,” from 19th to 26th January 2026, at the Kala Bhavan Nandan Gallery.

Curated by:
Suswagata Chatterjee
Krishna K. Prabhakaran

This show focuses on final-year and recently graduated students from art colleges across Bengal. Featuring the work of more than 15 artists from different institutions, we hope it will be a great experience for all.

This is not just an exhibition; it is a space for new conversation, sharing, exchange, and building friendships among students from different colleges. Our aim is to collaborate with the new generation of artists to explore new dimensions in contemporary art.

If you are in Santiniketan, please do come and encourage these emerging talents. We hope you will discover new perspectives in art.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

e

30/11/2025

Today we held a workshop with students from RSV School in Bishnubati village.
We foraged for materials from the village and created masks. It was a really great experience with the students, even though it was organized on very short notice. Baski Da (from RSV School) and HAI collaborated together. It was a fantastic experience to conduct a workshop for students using locally found and basic available materials.

It was a brilliant idea to explore materials with the students. The students of RSV School were also very brilliant and creative. If we conduct more workshops with RSV students in the near future, it will be great for them to find new dimensions in their understanding of art, craft, and the environment.

Our first workshop was a great success!!
We are looking forward to the next ones.

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

30/11/2025

We are excited to announce our upcoming workshop series with school students & the Bahurupi Artist community.

We hope it will be a great opportunity to introduce the Bahurupi Artist community to school students. We look forward to seeing you soon.

RSV Santali School workshop with students
30th Nov 2025
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Pathabhaban School workshop with students
4th Dec 2025
9:30 am - 11:00 am

Sishutirtha School workshop with students
4th Dec 2025
11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

27/11/2025

Today was a great moment for us. We witnessed a performance by eminent senior Bahurupi Artist Subal Das Bairagya & his son Dhaneswar Das Bairagya. It was a real pleasure for us to physically witness Subal Das Bairagya at the age of 86 years.
It was really beautiful; still, he has so much energy and is so charismatic. He is very dedicated to his makeup and performance. We hope we will get the opportunity to see more challenging performances soon.

We pray to God for his good health and prosperity.
Please keep in touch with our team for more updates on our Bahurupi community project.

Thank you,
Hidden Artist Initiative
Team

Hidden Artist Initiative

07/04/2026

16/02/2026

31/01/2026

19/01/2026

16/01/2026

07/01/2026

07/01/2026

05/01/2026

31/12/2025

30/11/2025

30/11/2025

27/11/2025

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