Zebra in Nature 

Curator: Before us is Jahar Dasgupta's "Zebra in Nature," a painting rendered in acrylic on canvas. What strikes you initially about this work? Editor: It's…suffocating. Beautiful, lush greens, but there's something uneasy about the way the zebra is enmeshed in the foliage. I feel like I'm holding my breath. Curator: The image presents a powerful juxtaposition. Zebra, an emblem of the African savanna, embedded within what appears to be a South Asian or tropical landscape. Dasgupta masterfully employs a traditional palette often associated with South Asian art to depict the animal and its surroundings, weaving a sense of cultural fusion. The stripes on the zebra even mirror the vein patterns of the surrounding lily pads or other large foliage. Editor: It makes me wonder about the themes of displacement and habitat. Zebras don’t naturally belong in such a verdant, watery environment. Are we meant to consider colonial displacement or the destruction of natural habitats, forcing species into unfamiliar ecosystems? Curator: That's a potent interpretation, tying it directly to ecological and perhaps even social justice. From a symbolic perspective, the zebra itself, with its distinctive stripes, is a fascinating creature, often associated with duality and balance: black and white, wild and tame. Embedding the zebra in nature could also symbolize the delicate balance that exists between different parts of an ecosystem. Or a deeper inquiry into nature. Editor: And there’s an irony to its stripes, designed to camouflage on the savanna. Here, they are strikingly obvious against the soft greens. The typical means of protection makes the creature stand out, accentuating its vulnerability. The zebra also seem self-aware as if it knows it's out of its element and is stuck with adapting to a new lifestyle. Curator: Indeed, there's an intentional contrast, forcing us to question its existence within the scene. The composition evokes a deep reflection on identity. Its large prominent eye seems to look straight into the audience. There’s also a kind of dream-like state with elements of surrealism that permeate this image. This work is rooted in a desire to bridge different worlds by combining symbols, colors, textures and styles together to form a cohesive image. Editor: The dreamlike atmosphere enhances the sense of unease, actually. It reminds me of narratives of animals in captivity, symbols of a lost freedom, their very being transformed through circumstances of unnatural confinement. Curator: Considering your points, one can see this as an open call for people to consider not just the visible representation of cultural and natural life but the undercurrents that either helps sustain them or helps accelerate their erasure from our minds and spaces. Editor: A call for a deep conversation on what connects and disconnects the world, leaving me deeply contemplative.