Bodo Artist From Assam Is Bringing Change Through His Artwork: Rabiram Brahma
SalamatRaho presents to you the story of a passionate Bodo artist from Udalguri village, Assam. He took it upon himself to hold onto the art form and culture of his tribe and state to bring change to society through his artwork- Rabiram Brahma. His contribution to his society, tribe, and state Assam is epoch-making.
Let’s learn more about Rabiram Brahma.
Did you know about Udalguri
Udalguri – is a district in the Bodoland Territorial Region of the state of Assam.
The name Udalguri denotes a place surrounding the Udal tree (Udal, meaning a tree and Guri meaning surrounding area).
There are Hindu, Christian, and Muslim populations living together in the district. This was a very peaceful place till mid 80s but various communal clashes took place from time to time.
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Amongst all this unrest and disturbed development, folk-art, theatre, music and other cultural and festival activities continued to remain the strong pillars.
“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” by Mahatma Gandhi.
Humble background: Rabiram
Rabiram was born in 1952 in Mahalliapara, Assam. His parents late Baburam Goyari and Zambi Goyari gave him an upbringing that allowed him to explore his inborn talent.
Educational background: Rabiram
Rabiram grew up in the Dalgaon village and went to the local school. He was highly inspired by the posters and sign board painters and watched them work with paints. He started painting and sending them to local newspapers and they got published in the children’s section. He was highly motivated and that’s how the seeds were sown to take up art as his career and subject.
He soon took guidance from famous artist Hema Mahanta, who encouraged him further to go out of his village and study art.
He went to Patna and spent 5 years taking his art degree. He returned home and took up a job at the Northern Frontier Railways. It became monotonous because his heart was into art.
The turning point: Rabiram
That’s when he made a major decision, quit his job and went to Baroda to M.S University to do a postgraduate diploma in art.
He received a lot of encouragement in Baroda too, especially from Nasreen Begum, who wrote about him too.
Back to his roots: Assam
Once he returned back to his village, he started experimenting with various different art forms. His paintings mostly depicted rural life of Assam. Apart from paints, he is the only artist in Assam who is doing Kript art using cane. He also used cow dung, human hair, saw dust and ashes to evoke various emotions in his paintings. He says his paintings should depict the smell of the soil of Assam.
Artist village for youth empowerment
He established an Artist Village to train the youth of Assam and to conserve the traditional art forms. Udalguri Artist Village supported many emerging artists and gave them direction amidst the unrest. Small children are thrilled to study in his Artist Village watching seniors making clay and wood sculptors and paintings.
Remember the name: Rabiram Brahma
Rabiram Brahma slowly started becoming a name to reckon with. He started having independent exhibitions around Guwahati and more and more students joined his project. His paintings reached other states and exhibitions were held in Mumbai and Delhi. The best opportunity he received was from France. He was invited for a workshop and exhibition in Paris and he received a lot of acclaim. Rabiram got an opportunity to see the world and also to spread his art work internationally.
Dream big there is no cost to it
One must keep your dreams alive. To achieve anything, requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. We must remember that all things are possible for those who believe.
Influence of late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
In Assam, he had a very strong mentor who supported him – Bhupen Hazarika, the famous award-winning playback singer, poet and filmmaker. He was part of the cultural organisation called Janasanskriti Parishad and guided Rabiram to fulfil his dream of his Artist Village.
Dream of establishing an art college
Rabiram Brahma ultimately wants to start an art college and then enhance the Udalguri Art Village to such a level that people from all parts of India and abroad would want to visit there. He wants to create a place where the younger generation can take up art as a degree course. His fame has already reached offshores and many foreigners regularly visit Udalguri to see his unique art.
Due to poor infrastructure, they are not so comfortable. He would like to create proper accommodation for them too. He would invite other artists and provide an opportunity for the people of Udalguri to get exposed. Guest houses would be needed for these scholars to stay comfortably. He wants to make an art gallery and name it after the famous sculptor and artist late Sobha Brahma.
His contribution to the society
He wants to offer earning opportunities to his students and teach them to become more professional and make art commercially viable. He hopes to get connected to government organisations and corporates or private donors who can support his dream of an ideal Artist Village.
Rabiram believes in the saying that –
If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards
Email – gopalswargiary123@gmail.com
Team NomadLawyer statues the contribution of Rabiram Brahma in bringing change to society through art and impacting the lives of people.
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