Print, Raagmala Bhairavi, Tryptich, by Sabah Husain, ink on paper, Lahore, 1988

This print is in the form of a triptych. All three panels are made of hand-made paper with the rough edges still present. The artist has used a mix of woodcut and etching. Each panels has been covered first with an orange woodblock to produce a wood grain effect and then printed with an etched plate to produce random swirling lines and patterns across the paper. These have been overlaid with a woodcut print in blue through which it is possible to see the wood grain effect. The blue and orange mingle together in parts of the print and provide a contrast to each other in other parts of the print. The panels are linked to each other with orange calligraphic lines which have been created by the woodcut and which extend from one panel to the next. On the right hand side in the middle there is a small etching of a delicate net-like design printed on transparent paper which has been pasted on. This hand panel is signed in pencil 'Raagmala Bhairavi, 7/50, Sabah Husain, '88', on the bottom right hand corner.

7/50

Given by the artist

The title of the triptych, Raagmala Bhairavi, refers to a school of Indian painting known as Ragamala painting. These paintings are visual interpretations of musical modes and are represented in divine or human form by musicians and poets. Bhairavi is a female representation of one of these modes. It refers to a piece of music that is traditionally only played at dusk during the summer time. In this print the artist gives us a contemporary interpretation of this theme.

Sabah Husain is one of the leading young female artists of Pakistan. She was educated in Lahore and spent four years in Japan, where she expanded her knowledge of paper and printmaking. Her work is inspired by classical Indian music, dance and poetry.

Husain gives a contemporary visual interpretation of a piece of classical music entitled Raagmala Bhairavi. This was traditionally played only at dusk during the summer time. The rich colours, calligraphic forms and sharp lines show a combination of south Asian and Japanese influences. Along with the triptych (tripartite) format, they convey the rhythm and emotion expressed through the music.

IS.33:1 to 3-1995