Kolkata, Oct. 25 -- Most of Jogen Chowdhury's paintings bore the imprints of struggle, suffering and resilience, reflecting the human stories of Partition and the scars of a turbulent history. Born in Faridpur, in present-day Bangladesh, he witnessed the trauma of Partition and the Bengal famine, experiences that later reflected in his art. His expressive strokes, marked by bold distortions and unbroken lines, found form across watercolours, ink on paper, pastels and oil paintings. On Sunday, Chowdhury, one of India's most celebrated contemporary artists and a former TMC Rajya Sabha MP, breathed his last at Ruby General Hospital in Kolkata after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 87.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described Chowdhury as "a towering pillar of the cultural world". Expressing his condolences, the Bengal CM posted on social media: "Deeply pained and grieved by the passing away of eminent painter and legendary artist, Shri Jogen Chowdhury. A maestro whose distinctive strokes redefined Indian modern art, Shri Jogen Chowdhury was a towering pillar of our cultural world. His immense contributions brought international acclaim to West Bengal. His departure leaves an irreparable void in West Bengal's intellectual and artistic soul."
Former CM Mamata Banerjee called Chowdhury " the pride of Bengal and India." She described him as a great inspiration to artists across the world, as well as to herself. "He was elected as an AITC Rajya Sabha MP from 2014-20 representing civil society, and was awarded the Banga Bibhushan in 2012. His passing away will create an irreparable void in the world of art and culture," Banerjee posted.
During Durga Puja, Chowdhury was admitted to hospital after developing a urinary tract infection. However, his condition deteriorated and he breathed his last at 10.15 am on Sunday. According to Ruby General Hospital, he had been suffering from a myeloproliferative neoplasm, a rare type of blood cancer, for the past 14 months and was undergoing chemotherapy. On Sunday, his body was kept at the Nandan-Rabindra Sadan complex for admirers and members of the artistic community to pay their last respects.
After Chowdhury and his family came to Kolkata during Partition, he enrolled at the Government College of Art and Craft in 1955 and graduated in 1960. In 1965, Chowdhury travelled to Paris on a French government scholarship to pursue further studies in art. Over the years, he carved his niche in modern Indian art.
He also served as curator of the art gallery at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 1987, he joined Kala Bhavan at Santiniketan as a professor of painting.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.