Pathraj Chronicles (2023)

Installation with jute, thread, brass and copper
Variable dimensions

“Once, during a journey to my grandparents’ home, the sudden current of the Pathraj river swept our cow cart downstream, carrying me and my mother all along. I have distinct recollections of the meandering flow of the Pathraj, a constant companion during my afternoon wanderings.”

The Pathraj Chronicles was realized in collaboration with local communities residing near the Pathraj River, located in the nortwest Bangladesh, near the Balia village, Thakurgaon district, Rangpur, Bangladesh. Shadhin has worked with seven female artisans to deconstruct the Shika technique, a weaving style traditionally used for hanging vessels in rural Bangladeshi homes. He employs jute, a material and resource commodity that has been a cornerstone of Bengali economy histories since colonial times.

Over the centuries, diverse ethnic communities, primarily the indigenous Rajbongshi Barman and Muslim Bengali communities, have settled along this river, primarily engaging in agriculture. They have confronted numerous challenges and significant historical events in this region, from the establishment of the Eastern Bengal Railway Company in 1857 which spurred massive urbanization, horizontal conflicts during the India-Pakistan partition in 1947, genocide during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and ongoing ecological displacement due to severe erosion.

For Shadhin, the Pathraj River embodies his childhood memories with his family, entwined with the recollections of those who live along its banks. The jute Shika weavings mirror the river’s flow and transform the Shika into a testament to the fading collective memories. At the mid of these woven pieces, are brass sheets inscribed with songs, rhymes, and sayings, collected from the community visits and village elders since 2020. These inscriptions, handwritten in Bangla, encapsulates stories, songs, and daily life utterance revolving around the river.

The artist acknowledges the assistance of Shahinur Begum, Chayna Begum, Shefali Begum, Selina Begum, Maleka Begum, Firoja Begum, Ratna Rani – (weaving), Bishwajit Roy, Amal Tudu, Somaru Barman, Rajkumar Barman – (brass and copper work) in creating this work.