From Whispers to Songs

by Georgina Maddox

Jayasri Burman’s solo show, The Whisper of Water, The Song of Stars at Gallery Art Alive brings a rich body of recent work that celebrates female energy in colour and black and white 

As one enters the gallery, a large diptych showcasing two Baul singers greet one on the central wall facing the door. The work made of watercolour, pen and ink, and charcoal on paper pasted on board, passes for a canvas at first glance, since the treatment is as detailed and impressive as her large canvases. Contrasting this, on the left and right sides, are small format, early works from Burman’s days at Santiniketan and one sees an initial emergence of the strong line and flair for detail that characterizes her later work.

 “I had not shown these early works till now and I thought that if I created the context of Santiniketan where I heard both Pavitra and Parvathy Baul, it would give the works a context to be viewed,” says the painter, who is showing a large body of work after processing it for three to four years on the large works; some smaller paintings go back to 2015 – mixed media collages on canvas – also being showcased for the first time.

The primary motif that characterizes this exhibition are cowry shells, which are both auspicious as well as symbols of female fertility. “If you look at the shell its inner surface resembles the female organ while its outer half the pregnant belly,” explains Burman. Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures. The cowrie was the shell most widely used worldwide while it is present in vast quantities in the Indian Ocean. Water is an important motif as well because the Bay of Bengal is a nodal meeting point for many rivers, from the Ganga to the Hooghly. The Bay also marks the confluence of the Arabian Sea with the Indian Ocean.

“I remember when I was an eight-year-old, I had visited the Bay with my Ma and Baba and while Baba swam, Ma and I were busy collecting cowry shells,” says Burman tracing back the memory. “We visited the marketplace and there were piles of the shells, corals, and all kinds of wonders of the sea. I love their smell as much as I love their form. I have them collected in my studio and they have been a constant source of inspiration.”

The exhibition invites one to an immersive journey in her enchanting universe that explores the cosmic connection of stars and water bodies, the harmony of colours, and the expanse of mystical landscapes. Jayasri Burman's artistic odyssey is a testament to her deep connection with tradition, retold through a modern perspective that echoes the concerns of today, weaving together the colourful threads of ancient mythology, the alluring glory of nature, and the unyielding power of women. Moving beyond mere imitation of the mythologies, Jayasri infuses these age-old tales with her own personal experiences and the exploding desires of the unconscious from a contemporary perspective.

On the second floor, the canvas titled Weeping Grace, featuring the three Goddesses – Laxmi, Kali and Saraswati – in the dense forest with foliage, birds and shells, is an arresting study. It captures in the quality of women that is her fierceness, her patience, and her love. Rendered in oil the large work (72 x 96 inches) holds the viewer in a mesmerizing conversation. “Weeping Grace, which is a titled that I have used for my large canvases that feature women/goddesses, speaks about their empathy. The ability to weep, yet be strong and resilient,” says Burman. This energy pervades many of her works and her life as well. 

“I have faced so many struggles and yet I am able to be strong. I have friends who call me a Diva, and I just laugh it off, because more than anything it is the ability to persist that women are known for and it is that force that governs my work,” she concludes.  

Jayasri Burman The Whisper of Water, The Song of Stars January 2025 to 28th February 2025 Venue: Art Alive Gallery, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi

(The images of the artworks are courtesy of the artist Jayasri Burman and Art Alive Gallery.)

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Georgina Maddox is an independent critic-curator with almost two decades of experience in the field of Indian art and culture. She was assistant editor at India Today’s Mail Today and senior arts writer for the Indian Express and the Times of India. She is currently working in the media as an independent critic for various publications and has published articles in Open Magazine, India Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and also in Elle Magazine, The Hindu and Business Line, Sunday Magazine BLINK, TAKE on Art, Time Out, and online with US based E-magazine, Studio International, STIR world and MASH Mag.