Young Monks

In the Himalayas, where she spent her growing up years, Gogi Saroj Pal would witness mountain families leave behind a son as a novitiate in the monasteries there. These young, forsaken children, homesick and scared, would bond together in their loneliness, creating fresh bonds for their survival. The artist felt the pain of these young children acutely but was respectful too of their growing camaraderie. In this poignant painting with its mellow colours, she draws on their pain and loss but also their ability to provide succour to each other.