About the Artwork +
This Kalighat painting by Uttam Chitrakar brings a delightfully humorous, multi-layered layer of irony to the historic fish-eating ascetic cat motif, seamlessly blending old-world social satire with an acute parody of today's smartphone-obsessed selfie culture. Kalighat art has historically relied on the anthropomorphization of animals to comment on human vanity, ego and the performance of social status. By replacing the classic umbrella or prayer beads of traditional 19th-century artworks with a modern mobile device, the artist cleverly reinterprets the feline's age-old hypocrisy as a hunger for digital attention, validation, and social media posturing.
At the center of the composition is a big, plump white cat rendered with smooth, rhythmic physical curves that embody the monumental volume characteristic of the Kalighat school. Its sleek fur is decorated with bold, fluidly painted black spots resembling teardrops, while a long, dark tail heavily textured with fine linear cross-hatching sweeps down and falls gracefully along the floor. Clamped firmly in its jaws is a grey fish.
Rather than sneaking off to eat its prize in secret, the cat raises its left front limb high into the air to snap a selfie with a tiny, gold-rimmed smartphone. The cat’s head is tilted upward in a classic influencer angle, its sharp almond-shaped eye glancing toward the screen with an amusing mix of vanity and pride. To complete this picture of modern material wealth, the cat is heavily ornamented with a thick golden chain necklace around its neck and delicate golden bracelets wrapped around its paws.
A much smaller companion cat sits nestled in the lower-left corner, echoing the posture of its larger counterpart but entirely unbothered by technology. Sporting a matching black-and-white spotted coat and gold bracelets, the smaller feline tilts its head straight back, looking directly upward toward the grand selfie-taker. This dual relationship creates a humorous narrative contrast between the natural, instinctual cat below and the thoroughly modernized cat above.
The painting features the Kalighat school’s signature economy of line, utilizing thick, continuous black outer contours to define the heavy shapes of the felines in a single, confident brush stroke. The color palette relies on a sophisticated contrast between the clean monochrome tones of the animals and the warm tones of the background and jewelry. By reimagining a legendary regional fable through the lens of universal modern habits, this piece celebrates the ever-evolving storytelling legacy of Bengal’s rich folk heritage.
Authentication and Certification +
Each of our artworks are hand painted by master artists across India. We provide a digital authentication
certificate with this artwork signed by the artist which will be sent over email after 3-4 days of delivery of the
artwork.
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Sizes, Framing and Customisation +
The sizes mentioned are excluding the borders of the artwork. Frames shown are for visual representation only and are not included with the artwork.
Customisation
Most artworks can be customised in terms of colours, size and elements to fit your requirements.
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Framing Services
No, we currently sell artworks unframed (unless explicitly mentioned otherwise) and do not provide framing services.
Shipping and Taxes +
We ship worldwide. All artworks are handmade and couriered securely in transit safe packaging sutaible for the artwork.
Domestic Orders
All prices are inclusive of GST and applicable Indian taxes.
- We offer free shipping on orders above ₹1999 for all artworks, except Lippan, Terracotta and Thikri.
- A flat shipping rate of ₹499 applies to orders below ₹1999.
Lippan, Terracotta and Thikri
Shipping is charged on a per-kilogram basis, due to the delicate and bulky nature of these items.
International Orders
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- Customs duties, taxes, or import charges in the buyer’s country are not included and must be borne by the buyer.
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Additonal Shipping Charges
Extra charges may be applicable for both domestic and international deliveries in the following cases:
- If the article requires additional packaging (such as a wooden crate) to ensure safe shipping due to its delicate nature.
- Custom-framed artworks.
- Artworks where shorter side exceeds 35 inches or Decor items with any side over 35 inches.
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Delivery Timelines and Returns +
Returns and Replacements
We offer replacements or repairs if your artwork arrives damaged or has a quality issue. As each artwork is handcrafted, we do not accept returns or refunds for orders received in the expected condition.
Delivery Timeline
This artwork will be Made to Order and will take
2-3 weeks
to be made and shipped.
Once your order is placed, our team stays in constant communication with the artist to track the progress and
ensure the quality of your order. You will receive regular updates from us throughout this process.
All MeMeraki artworks are hand-painted. In rare occasions, artist may face delays due to weather, health, prior commitments or force majeure. Our team will reach out to you with revised timelines in case of such delays. We appreciate your understanding and patience in such situations.
Colour Disclaimer+
All artworks on the website are hand painted from scratch by our master artists. This makes every artwork absolutely unique and the actual colour and overall artwork may vary slightly from the artwork image posted here.