Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

"For a long time, I have been looking out for a form that would take care of the history of visual experiences of people, be evocative of historical experiences and, at the same time, help me carry on with my social criticism."

Hailing from the state of West Bengal, Dharamanarayan Dasgupta studied at Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan. During the course of his search for a form that would adequately express his sentiments, he...
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Hailing from the state of West Bengal, Dharamanarayan Dasgupta studied at Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan. During the course of his search for a form that would adequately express his sentiments, he flirted with art styles that flourished as offshoots of traditional Indian art, mingled with Western ideals that were the trademark of the 19th century. His paintings also contained remnants of the 'babu' culture, a legacy from British India. Soon he cleverly blended all these cultures with his own inimitable style, and succeeded in achieving a distinctive look in his paintings.

Bizarre images crowd his canvasses and form an integral part of his art: images that float in the air, survey the world with their legs pointing skyward, distorted beyond recognition. He explains, "If some of the figures in my paintings are seen suspended in the air and others, upside down, it is so because I am trying to present the predicament of a middle-class man, who does not have a secure foot-hold in our society, who has to make compromises, face disappointments and whose dreams and aspirations are invariably turned down."

Dasgupta's canvases mirror society's disparities and the injustices and the cruelties that exist within it. "For the ordinary man, life is fraught with peril, and it is this predicament of the bourgeois that attracts me and prompts me to pick up my brush to bring them to the surface."
Dharmanarayan Dasgupta lived and worked in Kolkata till he passed away in 1997.

Honours and Awards
  • 1989 Awarded Shiromani Puraskar, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata
  • 1981 Award from Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
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    PAST AUCTIONS            
    Showing 4 of 18 works

    USD payement only Lot 125 Details

    Winter Online Auction 13-14 December 2023

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Untitled

    Ink and watercolour on paper

    14.75 x 21 in

    Winning bid
    $1,920
    Rs 1,59,360
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)

    USD payement only USD payment only. Why?


    Lot 3 Details

    COVID-19 Relief Fundraiser Online Auction 29-30 April 2020

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Kurta Series

    Tempera on canvas

    27 x 21 in

    Winning bid
    $3,916
    Rs 2,89,760
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 28 Details

    24 Hour Online Auction: Works on paper 26-27 March 2014

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Untitled

    Coloured pencil and waterColour on paper

    10.5 x 14 in



    Lot 155 Details

    24 Hour Online Auction: Works on paper 26-27 March 2014

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Love Time

    Coloured pencil and waterColour on paper

    14 x 10.5 in



    See all works in past auctions


    PAST StoryLTD AUCTIONS            
    Showing 4 of 8 works

    Lot 29 Details

    Words and Lines 7 June 2022

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Untitled

    Pencil on paper

    13.75 x 10.5 in

    Winning bid
    $613
    Rs 46,560
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 7 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays 9 February 2021

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Animal

    Scratch on magazine paper pasted on board

    12.5 x 10.5 in

    Winning bid
    $323
    Rs 23,280
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 38 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays 11 August 2020

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Untitled

    Tempera on handmade paper

    15.25 x 11.25 in

    Winning bid
    $1,576
    Rs 1,16,640
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


    Lot 12 Details

    Absolute Tuesdays 30 June 2020

    Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

    Untitled

    Tempera on paper

    28 x 21.5 in

    Winning bid
    $3,402
    Rs 2,51,760
    (Inclusive of buyer's premium)


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