Lalu
Prasad Shaw is one artist who could work in figurative and abstract styles
with equal ease and expertise. Breaking the conventional forms came just as
easily to him as did staying within the structural norms. In staying within the
forms, he succeeded in developing his simplistic signature style and was
appreciated the world over. His work can be considered as a documentation of
the daily lives of the people of that time - their struggles, their joys, their
lifestyles and the relationship between the Babus and their Bibis or wives. His images were extremely
simplistic, but with very strong lines, and it is this simplistic strength that
represents the art of Bengal.
Lalu Shaw's
need to try out new forms and openness to experimentation is evident if one
goes through his body of work. His inclination towards sculpture goes back a
long way and he tried his hand at various forms whenever the opportunity
presented itself to him. It was this need to try something new that inspired
him to give life to the characters of his paintings and see them in a new
light and form. From the time of inception of this idea of working on his Babu-Bibi
sculptures, he was cautious about not letting them look like dolls and the
simplistic characteristics of his paintings must be captured in every way in
the three-dimensional form and not be less than his original work in any way.
With
skilled precision in his artistry, the Babus and Bibis emerged from their moulds and these lively
characters were given new life by the artist. He has succeeded in capturing their
opulence,
egotist and lethargic nature. The perfect blend of his fine artistic expression
and expert skill can be seen in his sculptures and this will remain an asset
for Indian art for time immemorial.