Subhaprasanna Bhattacharjee is an Indian
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
, born in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
in 1947. He graduated from the Indian College of Arts (
Rabindra Bharati University
Rabindra Bharati University is a public research university in Kolkata, India. It was founded on May 8, 1962, under the Rabindra Bharati Act of the Government of West Bengal in 1961, to mark the birth centenary of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. ...
, Kolkata) in 1969. He was an active member of the Calcutta Painters group. He is married to artist
Shipra Bhattacharya
Shipra Bhattacharya (born 1954) is an Indian artist from Kolkata, known for her figurative paintings of women in domestic, urban, and natural environments. Her work has been exhibited in India and internationally.
Life
Bhattacharya was born ...
. Subhaprasanna was the student of the famous painter Debdoot Sheet.
Paintings
The city of
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
has always figured prominently in his work. His themes come from personal interactions with its urban milieu - its sickness and sordidness, its violence and vulnerability, and all that compounds its
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
agony. In the 1960s and 1970s, his work was influenced by turbulence and political violence of Kolkata.
Subhaprasanna has depicted varying moods of the city and its people, its places, and all its facets that make the city distinctive. He states, "There isn't another city like Kolkata anywhere in the world. In the heart of it, I find innumerable themes, subjects." He does not merely portray reality as 'matter of fact' and his presentation of reality often has dream-like elements in it. In terms of technique, Subhaprasanna boasts a precise, finely executed style that yields an unmistakable visual intensity. He works comfortably in an assortment of media, including oil on canvas, charcoal, and mixed media.
Explaining his thought-process and philosophy as a painter, he notes: "What every creator wishes to achieve is a universal appeal. There should be no language problem while judging the merits of a painting. One should go beyond themes, beyond words. There can be no clear cut definition for feelings, nor should you wish to seek any logical explanation."
Subhaprasanna's series of paintings, ''Icons and Illusions'', marked a creative breakthrough for the artist in a number of ways. Whereas he had been known in the past as an urban artist with subject matter that reflected the byways, alleyways, birds, and people of his native Kolkata, in this series he relished more in divinities and flowers. The iconic figures of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
,
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
, and
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
that found lyrical expression in the Icons series are modern representations and sophisticated idealizations of the same images in the popular media.
His works have been exhibited extensively in India and internationally in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. He has been recipient of numerous awards.
Political career
Since 2007, after his painting career was down, Shuvaprasanna's involvement in politics of West Bengal state increased. Since then he has been closely associated with
Trinamool Congress
The All India Trinamool Congress (English: All India Grassroots Congress; AITC), colloquially the Trinamool Congress ( TMC) is an Indian political party which is predominantly active in West Bengal. The party is led by Mamata Banerjee, the cur ...
leader
Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee (; born 5 January 1955) is an Indian politician who is serving as the eighth and current List of chief ministers of West Bengal, chief minister of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal since 20 ...
. Before the 2011 assembly election, he became a prominent face to campaign for ''parivartan''. In recognition to his support, the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee created a new department in the railway ministry and made him chairperson of that department. He was given an honorarium of Rs. 8,000 per month. He has been termed as 'key advisor' to Ms Banerjee by media. Of late he has been trying to launch a channel of his own to promote his ideas and politics. However, this has run into bad weather as he has been caught using the name of Ms. Banerjee and raising funds in the name of her. Mamata trying to protect her name has started distancing herself from the painter. Recently,
References
Sushma Bahl (Herausgeber), Black Brown & The Blue - Shuvaprasanna. Roli Books, New Delhi 2011,
Chitrotpala Mukherjee, Shuvaprasanna - Vision: Reality & Beyond, Art Indus, New Delhi, 1999,
External links
Arts Acre Foundation"Gallerie Nvyā - Artist/ View all/ Shuvaprasanna"Official website of Shuvaprasanna
{{Authority control
1947 births
Artists from Kolkata
Indian male painters
Living people
20th-century Indian painters
Rabindra Bharati University alumni
Painters from West Bengal