Kolkata gets India's first prison art gallery

Kolkata: Flight to Harmony Foundation and Directorate of Correctional Services, Government of West Bengal, joined hands to open an art gallery in the Alipore Correctional Home in Kolkata -- the first one in India's prison history.

The gallery was named 'Srishtikala Bhavan' or artistic creations, by Shankar Chakrabarty, Minister in Charge, Department of Correctional Administration, Government of West Bengal.

The inauguration of the Art Gallery was witnessed by some eminent Kolkatans from different walks of life.

The gallery has opened with 50 paintings of 30 convict-artists of Alipore Correctional Home who are serving their terms.

Flight to Harmony Foundation has been conducting art classes since 2007 at various correctional homes using art as a therapy on the convicts.

Regular art classes along with workshops produced some exceptional artists among the inmates whose works have been exhibited a number of times in various parts of the country.

"The new permanent gallery is sure to boost the morale of the inmates as their work can now be exhibited regularly and is sure to draw art lovers. We will allow the public to come and appreciate the works of great talents," said Ranvir Kumar, IG, Correctional Services, West Bengal.

This 800 sq ft state-of-the-art gallery will also be used for holding exhibitions of paintings of inmates along with professional painters.

"Art is a medium which will give them a chance to rectify themselves and facilitate the process of rehabilitation," said artist-sculptor Chitta Dey, founder of Flight to Harmony Foundation, who has already rehabilitated several former convicts.

The opening of Srishtikala Bhavan came up after two days of intensive art workshop at the Alipore Correctional Home where the convict-artists and professional artists participated together.

About 30 inmates and 30 artists, both painters and sculptors, worked and learnt from each other.

The likes of Shanu Lahiri, Robin Mandal, Ganesh Haloi, Subrata Ganguly painted while Uma Siddhanta and Bipin Goswamy created sculptures during the workshop.