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By Suman Munshi
Photo Niladri Sarkar
Asking an Italian citizen in Italian was quite a surprise for the artist Maurizio Boscheri. And exactly I started the conversation with the following Italian speech with the guest of honor Maurizio Boscheri and his friend.
“Buona serata. Io Sono Suman. Come stai Signore Maurizio Boscheri” meaning “Have a good evening. I am Suman. How are you Mr. Maurizio Boscheri”.
Post initial greetings at a Kolkata cozy restaurant over an Italian evening snack we discussed lot about the influence of strong, colorful expression and the eyes of the majestic tigers can only be painted if anyone can feel the royal yet deadly look of the Tiger in the wild.
Maurizio Boscheri, who is an Italian wildlife painter, has come to Kolkata (accompanied by his curator Mario Liberali) to paint a spectacular mural in Gariahat in association with artists from the Government College of Arts. This is a gift by him and the people of Italy to the City of Kolkata and its inhabitants.
The Consul General of Italy in Kolkata, Gianluca Rubagotti, highlights the importance of having an Italian painter in town. “I am very glad that Maurizio, together with his curator Mario, finally made it to come to Kolkata. OF all the different activities in which he has been involved, I am particularly grateful for the mural in Gariahat, which will remain as a symbol of the friendship between our people, as well as a reminder of the importance of taking care of the wildlife and the ecosystem’.
As an avid conservationist and wildlife lover, the mural depicts the national animal of India, the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is very special in this state, as well as the national bird, the peacock. The mural, in collaboration with 71 Palli Baishaki Darbojanin Durgotsab Samity, a women-only association active in the social field, wants to create awareness about the need to protect the ecosystem and the wildlife surrounding us.
Maurizio Boscheri expresses all of his enthusiasm for the city: ‘I came to India for the first time a lot of years ago, but this is my very first trip to Kolkata. Although I have not been able to visit many places, I am impressed by how lovely the city is. I have interacted with some young artists and art students, and I have to confess their level is on average rather high. I really hope I will be able to come back more often.”
Maurizio Boscheri has conducted a workshop with students of the Sister Nivedita University and has also generously donated one of his paintings to the oldest rotary club in the city to raise funds for a charity supporting victims of the tigers in the Sunderbans.
This message of feeling for the people is truly a kind heart in action. Hope true benefit will touch the people who are victims and helpless.
