It’s true even if it’s a tale

EDITION

2025, Shortlisted

school

Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh

links

@_ayan.biswas ↗

Fear has been a dominant theme in a lot of Bengali folklore. It reveals the identity and culture of a changing society with all its hidden agonies. This work has been inspired by a Bohurupi artist from rural Bengal who embodies imaginary characters for a living. He introduced me to this world of spirits often found residing in abandoned spaces. They are victims of malnutrition, poverty and other malices that pushed them to the fringes. I was touched by these tales that alchemise the fear of the unknown into familial elements of everyday life laced with humour. As time passed, these oral traditions became a way of connecting the mariginalized communities to the rest of society. Yet, the social status of these artists remains precarious. Now they are faced with a renewed identity of this art form in the age of digital entertainment.