Sunil Das was India’s most important post-modernist painters. He went through different styles of painting throughout his career.
“To prevent myself from producing the same kind of work, I keep altering my vision. From the day people begun to see me, particularly to respond to the feelings of the people at the grass-root level who are also my viewer, as also to delve deep into realities of life around me”.
Das was born in Kolkata in 1939, India. He came from middle class family and his father was just a small businessman. After completing school, he decided to become a painter and joined a local art school.
He then joined the government College of Arts & craft, Kolkata in 1955, then won a French government Scholarship to study at the Ecole des beaux -arts in Paris.
He rose to prominence early when he became the only Indian artist to win Lalit kala akademi’s national award while he was still undergraduate student, in 1959. He is also the only Indian to receive the prestigious Shiromani Kala Puraskar for his artistic excellence while studying his undergraduate degree at Government college of art and craft, Kolkata.
He jumped from one style to another easily. He was inspired by the force and strength of the moving horse and went on to create a work made out of charcoal titled -Horses in motion. His works revolved around Man-Woman relationships, Woman in her sexual empowerment and In her loneliness. He had around 88 solo exhibitions across the world including having his work included in Paris Biennale.
Das rose to prominence with his drawings of horses. “I must have done 7000 horses between 1950 to 60,” he says. “In 1962, I went to Spain, where I was fascinated by the bullfights.” His famous works include the Bull series, A woman in her failings, and Horse series. Hardly ever painting in loud or warm colours, Sunil Das uses soft brown, mauve and white in the background to bring out the drama of life. He blends talent with hard work.
In 2014, the Government of India conferred upon Sunil Das its fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.
