Fine Arts or Visual Arts are important for their relationship with education, culture and human life: Governor

HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 9: Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi, while attending the closing ceremony of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Government College of Art and Crafts in Guwahati on Friday, said, “It is a significant accomplishment for Government College of Art and Crafts to reach and complete a milestone in its academic journey. It is also an achievement of this institution which has dedicated itself to nurturing the creative arts of students and improving the arts and crafts of our beautiful state.”
Governor Prof Mukhi also said that the institute, through its 75 years of outstanding odyssey, has constantly strived to establish visual art as an academic discipline. Fine arts or visual arts are very important for their relationship with education, culture, and human life. This visual art can well be considered a form of language, having developed prior to the development of verbal language. The visual arts, in their various contemporary manifestations, remain relevant and effective means of communication and expression.
He also expressed that the significant aspect of this discipline is that it subtly records and imprints in it the history, culture, and taste of people in a palpable way. So, in a way, this discipline can be termed a source of records of the human journey. It is true that without the records of the visual arts, many aspects of our past could not have been known, imagined, or reconstructed.
Though art is typically produced to cater to different utilitarian needs and purposes, it inherently embodies the process of creation. Thus, art is a powerful means of expressing one’s imagination.
He also mentioned that Assam is known for its cultural and artistic diversity and richness, which includes various forms of art. The legendary Puranic reference of Chitralekha and the subsequent literary, archaeological, and artistic remains of the land established Assam as an ancient seat of visual art activity. Many of the art forms continuing in the folk traditions of the ethnic communities of the state equally testify to the richness of this land.
He also said that the modern education of fine art or visual art as a discipline of study is equally important as any other subject of contemporary education. The various subjects of arts, humanities, and even science frequently require and seek the assistance of visual art or visual artists in various ways. In contemporary times, the scope and horizon of visual art have loomed so large that in modern technological and digital advancement, visual art plays a significant role.
The Governor while complementing the Government College of Art and Crafts for rendering creative services in the field of art and culture for the last 75 years, said that, in its long history, the college has not only taken the lead in creating a number of outstanding and celebrated artists like Dr Sobha Brahma, Benu Misra, Bikash Chakraborty, and so on, to mention a few, but has also catered to the needs of the professionals required for the printing industry, design, cinema, animation, etc. The college and the subject it teaches possess the potential of creating professionals who can survive and excel through the acquired knowledge and skills.
As the college is also celebrating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with the nation and geared up for the next milestone of 100 years of independence, which is also termed as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Kaal’, Government College of Art and Crafts should take the lead in placing Assam and the nation in their rightful position. The spirit of the students, who are armed with Indian values, ethos, and knowledge, should be the deciding factor in transforming India into ‘Viswaguru’.
Former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, chairman, Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio, Vidyasagar Bora, director of Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language Art & Culture, Prof Dilip Kr Kalita, principal Dr Nabajit Deka, students and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.