Important Notice

"People for me are an increasingly sophisticated and alluring proposition when I look for a subject." - JOGEN CHOWDHURY

Jogen Chowdhury addresses the human form with an aloof curiosity that is almost scientific in its observation. He reveals the body in diverse situations-alone, scarred, aged and disfigured, or dressed in finery. He often depicts couples in varied interactions, some intimate, others distanced, always creating... "People for me are an increasingly sophisticated and alluring proposition when I look for a subject." - JOGEN CHOWDHURY

Jogen Chowdhury addresses the human form with an aloof curiosity that is almost scientific in its observation. He reveals the body in diverse situations-alone, scarred, aged and disfigured, or dressed in finery. He often depicts couples in varied interactions, some intimate, others distanced, always creating an underlying sense of unease. The titular couple in the present lot is captured in a moment of conversation, which might be antagonistic or tender-the artist offers no clues. A small water body with flowers adds to the animated scene. Rendered with Chowdhury's characteristic mastery over delineation, this is an unusual and rare, colourful work for an artist who is best known for his monochromatic preferences.

The elongated, snake-like limbs and dramatic facial features are characteristic of Chowdhury's figurative style. According to him, "figuration is extremely important... I want to portray our human environment, the people of our country, their nature, their way of sitting because they are different from others. You'll notice that there's a peculiar Indianness in their gestures and that attracts me. And it is this-the particular characteristics we see- that I wish to distil in my art. I develop these portrayals through distortion... I try to import in my figures an extra quality that's beyond academic naturalism, a certain abstract quality that makes them supra-real." (Artist quoted in Rakhi Sarkar, Jogen Chowdhury and Rita Dutta, Jogen Chowdhury: His Life and Times, Kolkata: Cima Gallery Pvt. Ltd., 2006, p. 37)

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