The Art Of Art: A Biography Of Mriganka Pal

Mriganka Pal is born in Krishnanagar, Nadia, West Bengal. He is a Gold Medalist. He has done his Diploma in Sculpture from Rabindra Bharti University, in Calcutta. He has participated in several national exhibitions in India. He also have achieved several awards in different exhibitions such as Award from Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1988, Certificate of Merit from Bombay Art Society, in 1992 and award from Mountaineers Association of Krishnanagar in 2008. T.V Programme ‘Tanabana’, is broadcasted his art through Delhi Doordarshan on National Programme during year 1993.
• What do you know about Ghurni, Krishnanagar and its clay art, how it is originated?
I am Mriganka Pal, and I have learnt this clay art from my father Mukti Pal. In
Artist Ram Pal with the help of some British officials had send his work and got an award ‘Exposition Universelle De 1855 Industrie Beaux -Arts’. It is also clearly stated in the certificate that second place in International Jury Award was given to the artists of Krishnanagar, Sattara, Belagaon, Puna etc, for making sculpture and dolls. Magistrate of Nadia himself signed a certificate with a note that ‘This certificate is awarded to Sri Ram Pal of Ghornee, Zilla Nuddea’, 1 July, 1857, Krishnanagar’. As a result of this, awards with several medals, certificates, and newspaper cuttings were brought with some important foreign art books. Human figures in these books by Greek and Roman artists influenced the artists of Ghurni to work like them. The muscles, veins, and proportions of the body in those books have been learned by artists. And from there we can see the very influence of Europeans in their
Most of the people in Ghurni are moving towards other occupations. No one bother to the spread out the traditional and inherent art of their forefathers. Not only in Ghurni, but also in places like Natun Para, Pala Para, Ratha Tala uneducated and illiterate crowd is greater than before. Among them engaged themselves in jobs and business to earn livelihood for their family and leaving their studies. And those who involving themselves in this traditional doll making art are not skilled because to complete huge orders in showrooms they are producing dolls in moulds due to which they are lacking creativity. They even cannot think new and innovative ideas to be used in this clay art. Those who are in jobs are losing their art heritage and overlooking toward this art. Market is filled with new cottage art, made in more durable materials comprise to the fragile clay dolls which are losing its importance. I am afraid that after 50 years the name and fame of true clay modelers will disappear. Though shops, carpenters, potters (Kumbhakars) remained there but true art and artists will be gone away. The inherent and traditional art work of Palas will be overtaken by other castes. Young generations have started neglecting and losing their interest in this clay modeling art because they think that this work is time