MADras!
An exhibition of cartoons by Biswajit Balasubramanian on the inspiring city that is Madras to commemorate the 375th birthday of Madras.
Biswajit is a caboodler - has been and always will be. The passion with which he 'caboodles' reflects in his endearing characters – layered with humor to give life to a happy congregation of people that populate his art. The colourful citizens of the vibrant city of Madras are a reserve bank of humour that the cartoonist reveals graphically. It is hard not to recognize a typical Madrasi, being a distinguished creature, draped in culture with the right mix of tradition and the modern. Very often their children are IT geeks in the US and who recite slokas and savour Thair Saadam and Dunkin Donuts all in the same breath. The migrant Madrasi will also never fail to descend to Chennai for the December Season to savour music, dance vada ,pongal and dosa! The dynamics of the city is forever in motion and there is no dearth of inspiration that acts as a fodder for the cartoonist.
In MADras!, Biswajit’s animated train of thought portrays socially inspired situations with graphic detail. He excavates deep for the ‘invisible’ to appear and it does…with such clarity that it is almost shocking in its innate simplicity. Biswajit's eye is trained to peel away the layers, one by one, and to reveal in its simplicity a constellation of characters engaged in the ‘drama of life’. To express the maximum in the most minimalist of terms is a challenge that Biswajit straddles with ease. A cartoonist’s caboodle is a collective narrative that essays the sensitivity of the creator. With Biswajit, narrative is infused with thought-provoking stories that never fail to leave a smile or giggle on the face of the beholder!
His professional career as a cartoonist began in 2002 when his pocket cartoon, ‘Amusing’, was first featured in the Chennai based bi-monthly newspaper Madras Musings, that appear till date. The works spread over three years have been published in 2005 as a compilation titled, Chennai Latte-A Madras Brew, co-authored with Ranjitha Ashok.
MADras! is a collection of cartoons spanning fourteen years and will be presented as framed works.
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