Testimony of Tolerance

Art Heritage continues its politically focused art season with Rajesh Deb’s first solo, Testimony of Tolerance. Deb’s works are deeply rooted in the experiences of Bengal in the 20th century, reflecting on the mass traumas the region endured while also presenting a vision of its rich cultural past and political possibilities for the future. The Testimony of Tolerance series includes woodcut prints responding to the killings of Mohammad Akhlaq, M.M. Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar, and Govind Pansare. These prints, filled with dark satire and criticism of modern barbarism, move beyond negativity to focus on narratives of tolerance and mutual understanding from figures like Hafiz, Kabir, Baba Farid, Chaitanya, and Mirabai. The series also connects contemporary figures such as Mohammad Iqbal, Martin Luther King, and Nguyen Van Troi to these humanistic traditions, encouraging dialogue for a hopeful future. In addition to woodcuts and sculptures, the exhibition features Deb’s watercolours and books, where politics, literature, and art converge. His watercolours include panels from a fictional film, Ma Tujhe Salaam, inspired by the works of Sadat Hasan Manto and Ritwik Ghatak. Deb uses various mediums—sculpture, installation, books, and woodcuts—to communicate his worldview and provoke thought. His art aims to disturb and jolt viewers out of the nightmare of history, urging them to awaken to new possibilities.

The exhibition’s catalog is written by Kushanava Choudhury, author of Epic City: The World on the Streets of Calcutta.