A blend of strokes from a physically challenged painter, Aasutosh Panigrihi, and a flautist with soothing tunes in his bamboo flute, Jarrod Wood.
At a beach resort just under an hour away from Mumbai, the lilting melody of a flute rose in perfect percussion with the strokes rendered on a canvas. As the flautist increased his tempo, so did the artist. Together, they created a portrait bursting with colour and rhythmic composition - a marriage of art and music.
Though a novel fusion of the two art forms, what set this event held at Kihim Village, a getaway in Alibaug, apart was the exceptionality of the two artistes involved. Flautist Jarrod Wood left the scenic confines of New Zealand on maestro Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia’s invitation to study the bansuri with him. And Mumbai-based artist Aasutosh Panigrahi’s canvases never give away the fact that they were done by a physically handicapped man. Together the duo created a synthesis of sound and sight for the patrons present at this unusual Christmas party on December 24.
Painting with his stubs, Panigrahi has won several awards. But it’s his Guinness record for creating the largest mural landscape painting and breaking the previous record held by a group of Australian artists that has made him an exemplar of sheer determination. “I never was one to settle for sympathy. Though people questioned my ability to paint, I decided that I won’t let such attitude stop me,” says Panigrahi. Moreover, his proficiency doesn’t restrict itself to painting-he is a specialist in the field of sculptures and acting as well. “I wanted to prove to all that I can do what any able-bodied person is capable of and also do it better than them,” says Panigrahi, who loves to experiment.
So it comes as no surprise that he couldn’t resist an opportunity to blend his creative strokes with the soothing notes of Jarrod’s bamboo flute. “I simply get immersed in Jarrod’s tunes,” says Panigrahi.
But how much of an inspiration are the duo for each other? The Kiwi flautist’s notes help Panigrahi translate his nascent concepts onto the canvas, while his paintings give Jarrod that much-needed spur to experiment and play on. As Panigrahi puts it, “It’s the sort of jugalbandi that you don’t get to see too often.”
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