Guwahati: Guwahati hosted the launch of Xil-Phul Aru Anyanyo Kabita this Saturday. The book combines Assamese poetry with French visual art. Local publisher Matribhasha Prakashan produced the collection. It features 34 poems by Kushal Dutta and 21 black-and-white images by Frédérique Gourdon.
Pradip Nath designed the cover. ADAGP, the Paris-based group holding copyright to Gourdon’s work, officially recognized the project. The pairing marks a rare cross-cultural exchange. It bridges two distinct artistic traditions.
Gourdon creates contemporary European art. Born in Paris in 1971, she studied at the Terre et Feu art school. She teaches art and lives in the Île-de-France region. TV5 Monde’s documentary series Terra Artistica recently featured her career in an episode titled La quête du vivant. She won the City Award in 2021, the Taylor Prize and Critique.org Award in 2024, and the 2025 Golden Person Award from Le Geste d’Or. Her art has reached galleries in Italy, China, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Kushal Dutta stands as a fixture of Assamese literature. He has published eight poetry books. These include his 2021 collection, Alap Absurd. Dutta serves as Chief Editor at the publishing house Matribhasha. He also edits literary works, including collections by Sananta Tanti and Ajit Barua. Honors include the 2003 Munin Barkotoki Award, the 2011 Kathamalita Sahitya Sanman, and the 2022 Pradip Kumar Barua Award. Academics include his poems in curricula at Cotton University and North Lakhimpur College.
Dutta’s verses transcend language barriers. Performers like American actor Steve Cantor and Assamese reciter Abani Bora have recited his work. The new book captures this reach. “Xil-Phul Aru Anyanyo Kabita seeks to create a dialogue between two artistic expressions across geographical and cultural boundaries.” The collaboration aims to give Assam’s readers a fresh aesthetic experience.
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