Untitled, Figurative, Ink with Brush & Dry Pastel on Paper

Medium	:	Brush
Height	:	14 inch / 35.6 cm
Width	:	11 inch / 27.9 cm
Dimension	:	W: 27.9 cm × H: 35.6 cm

Medium

Brush

Height

14 inch / 35.6 cm

Width

11 inch / 27.9 cm

Dimension

W: 27.9 cm × H: 35.6 cm

Description

Jogen Chowdhury | Untitled | Ink with Brush & Dry Pastel on Paper | 14 x 11 inches | 2014

This painting, created by Jogen Chowdhury in 2014, is a striking example of his signature style that blends figurative expression with abstract and symbolic forms. Executed in ink with brush and dry pastel on paper, the artwork portrays a stylized human face juxtaposed with an abstract form, possibly an arm or torso, rendered in bold, flowing black lines. The background features fragmented geometric motifs and dynamic strokes, adding a rhythmic and almost musical quality to the composition. Chowdhury’s controlled yet spontaneous linework captures both structure and emotion, giving life to his figures through minimal yet expressive details. The use of subdued pastel tones contrasts beautifully with the dark outlines, enhancing the sense of depth and intimacy. The painting reflects the artist’s ongoing exploration of human emotion, identity, and the subtle tensions that exist between the physical and psychological realms.

Born on 15 February, 1939 in Faridpur (now in Bangladesh), Jogen Chowdhury’s family moved to Calcutta following the partition.
Chowdhury studied art at the Government College of Art and Crafts, Calcutta, and subsequently at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. A student of Prodosh Das Gupta, Chowdhury worked in the expressionist style of figuration in his early years. He created his own gallery of the grotesque, featuring lewd men with bellies like sacks and women with loose, hanging breasts. The Paris sojourn sharpened his creative thought process, helping in the evolution of his distinctive personal style.

Chowdhury interprets the human form through the x-ray vision of his creativity: attenuated, exaggerated, fragmented, reconfigured, and rephrased. For Chowdhury, the body has to communicate in silence. Often placing his figures against a vacant background, he does not appropriate the specificity of place or environment; instead, he transfers feelings of anguish on to his figures through gestural mark-making. His dense, crosshatched lines simulate body hair and a web of veins takes away the smooth sensuality of the classical body to manifest the textures of life.
Chowdhury believes art in India is neither subsumed in the miniature traditions nor in those of Ajanta, for India is neither a monolith nor a static entity; and that a notion of Indianness should not be fixed into some kind of timeless loop. He has been awarded the Madhya Pradesh government’s Kalidas Samman, and was honoured at the 2nd Havana Biennale. He lives and works in Kolkata and Santiniketan.

Shipment DetailsThis artwork will be shipped unframed, either in roll form or flat, depending on its requirements—at no additional cost.

If you’d prefer the artwork to arrive ready to hang, please get in touch with us to arrange framing and shipping at applicable charges.

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