Important Notice

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

Jogen Chowdhury engages with figuration through a uniquely Indian approach that is inspired by traditional folklore and Indian family values. As seen in the present lot, his figures are rendered freely, often in distorted forms, and in a style that steers clear of Western trends. Although there is an undeniable... “People for me are an increasingly sophisticated and alluring proposition when I look for a subject.” - JOGEN CHOWDHURY

Jogen Chowdhury engages with figuration through a uniquely Indian approach that is inspired by traditional folklore and Indian family values. As seen in the present lot, his figures are rendered freely, often in distorted forms, and in a style that steers clear of Western trends. Although there is an undeniable Bengali influence in his works, his compositions and depictions of the human figure possess a universal appeal.

Explaining his style and preoccupation with figuration, Chowdhury states, “It seems to me that the depth of perception that comes in figuration, the way figures can illuminate life may not be possible through other means. 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)

Created in 2011, the present lot demonstrates Chowdhury’s decades-long preoccupation with using figuration to communicate emotions of sadness and darkness, often set in an aura of mystery. Belonging to his contemporary body of works, the work showcases Chowdhury’s more recent practice of cropping the central subject or image, thereby revealing only part of the whole subject. In an interview, he explained that “The purpose is to hide some parts. The moment I show the entire figure, the interest in the details would be lost. Earlier on, the figures were observed in their natural bearings which came through expressionistic stylization and the weight of reality was greater. There is an effect of distancing today.” (Uma Nair, “Jogen Chowdhury: Glenberra Museum Collection at Vadehras”, Times of India, 2020, online)

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