Gaji’r Poter Gaan

Myth, Image, and Song as Live Art

As part of D’LAB 2019’s Local Live Art segment, a performance of Gaji’r Poter Gaan illuminated the powerful intersection of oral tradition, visual storytelling, and spiritual devotion. In this folk form, an artist paints scrolls (pot) depicting scenes from the tales of Gazi Pir—a syncretic saint venerated in Bengal—and then narrates and sings these stories live in front of an audience. Combining the acts of painting, reciting, and performing, the poter gaan transforms static images into a living ritual. This presentation at D’LAB foregrounded the potua’s role as both painter and performer, where art becomes an unfolding event of memory, myth, and moral reflection. Rooted in rural Bengal, the tradition engaged D’LAB’s contemporary audience with a timeless performance of cultural continuity, vibrancy, and shared storytelling.