Jogen Chowdhury

Born in 1939 in Faridpur, Bengal, Jogen Chowdhury studied at the Government College of Art and Crafts, Kolkata, from 1955-60, followed by a stint at L'Ecole Nationale Superior des Beax-Arts, Paris, in 1965-57 on a French Government Scholarship.

Jogen Chowdhury is fascinated by history. Having experienced the traumatic effects of the Partition, dislocation and a sense of isolation, his figures reflect an intractable solitude. Even when he paints a couple, the two are detached and distant from each other. His individual figures are usually more sensuous - the woman caressing herself, if a man, then curled in pain with raw wounds on his body. Although prolific in the various mediums he has used over the years, such as ink and pastel, watercolour, oil and pen, the bulk of Jogen Chowdhury’s artworks feature unbroken, meandering lines in ink and pastel. This choice of medium came from the artist’s inclination to be individualistic.

His solo exhibitions include 'A Calligraphy of Touch and Gaze', presented by Kalakriti Art Gallery at ICIA, Mumbai, in 2008; and ‘Abahoman: Flowing Life’ at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2007. Chowdhury has also had solo exhibitions at Gajah Gallery, Singapore; Gallerie Foundation for Indian Artists, Amsterdam; and the Fine Art Resource, Berlin.

The critically acclaimed artist has been showered with accolades for his work. In 1986, he received an award at the Second Biennale of Havana, Cuba, and in 2001, he was presented with the Kalidas Sanman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

The artist, lives and works in Shantiniketan in West Bengal.