Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharjee

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in Kolkata in 1947, Shuvaprasanna completed his graduation from the Indian College of Art (R B University, Kolkata) in 1969. He was an active member of the "Calcutta Painters" group.

The city of Kolkata has always figured prominently in his work. His themes come from his personal interactions with its urban milieu - its sickness and sordidness, its violence and vulnerability and all that compounds its existential agony. In the 1960s and 1970s, his work was influenced by the turbulence and political violence of Kolkata.

Shuvaprasanna has depicted varying moods of the city and its people, its places, and all its facets that make the city distinctive. As he states, 'There isn't another city like Kolkata anywhere in the world. In the heart of it, I find innumerable themes, subjects.' He doesn't merely portray reality as a 'matter of fact' and his presentation of reality often has dream-like elements in it. In terms of technique, Shuvaprasanna boasts a precise, finely executed style that yields an unmistakable visual intensity. He works comfortably in an assortment of media, including oil on canvas, charcoal, and mixed media.

Explaining his thought-process and philosophy as a painter, he notes: 'What every creator wishes to achieve is a universal appeal. There should be no language problem while judging the merits of a painting. One should go beyond themes, beyond words. There can be no clear-cut definition for feelings, nor should you wish to seek any logical explanation.

Shuvaprasanna's series of paintings, Icons and Illusions, marked a creative breakthrough for the artist in a number of ways. Whereas he had been known in the past as an urban artist with subject matter that reflected the byways, alleyways, birds, and people of his native Kolkata, in Icons and Illusions, he relished more in divinities and flowers. The iconic figures of Krishna, Radha, and Ganesha that found lyrical expression in the Icons series are modern representations and sophisticated idealizations of the same images in the popular media.

His work has been exhibited extensively in India and internationally in Bangladesh, Singapore, France, Switzerland, and Germany.

BORN
1947 Kolkata

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
1969 Graduated from Indian College of Art, Rabindra Bharti University, Kolkata

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 Shuvaprasanna: Recent & Retrospective, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad; Emami Chisel, Kolkata
2011 Shuvaprasanna: Recent Works, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2011 Traveling Retrospective at Lalit Kala Akademi; Art Indus; Gallerie Nvya, New Delhi; Tao Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 Night Watch, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
2007 Madhura: The Golden Flute, organized by Indian Contemporary at Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong
2006 Evocative Expressions: In Quest of Krishna, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
2006 Evocative Expressions: In Quest of Krishna, ITC Sonar Bangla Art Gallery, Kolkata
2006 The Divine Flute, Aicon Gallery, USA
2005 The Golden Flute, organized by Indian Fine Art at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai
2004 Lila, organized by Art Indus, New Delhi at Shridharni Art Gallery, New Delhi
2004 The Divine Flute, Gallery ArtsIndia, New York
2002 Icons and Illusions, Gallery ArtsIndia, New York
2002 Madhura, Art Indus, New Delhi
2000 Shuvaprasannas Icon and Retrospective, organized by Art Indus at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
2000 Fine Art Company, Mumbai
2000 Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore
2000 Artworld, Chennai
1998 An Appreciation of Ted Hughes, Exhibition of Crow Paintings, British Council, Kolkata
1998 Art Indus, New Delhi
1995 Painters Home Gallery, Kolkata
1995 Gallery Sanskriti, New Delhi
1994 Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi
1994 Galerie Grewal Mohanjeet, Paris, France
1993 Metropolis, Portraits of Calcutta, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1993 ABC Gallery Benares
1992 Kunstverein, Ludwigsburg, Germany
1992 Studio Helmi Prechter, Augsburg, Germany
1991 Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
1991 Art Age Gallery, Kolkata
1991 La Gallerie, Dhaka, Bangladesh
1990 Indian Museum, Kolkata
1990 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1990 Sridharani Art Gallery, New Delhi
1989 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1989 The Gallery, Chennai
1988 IDM Gallery, Munich, Germany
1988 St Paulus Fastellte, Ludwigsburg, Germany
1987 Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
1985 Painters Home Gallery, Kolkata
1983 Calcutta Art Gallery, Kolkata
1983 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1983 Kreissparkasse, Ludwigsburg, Germany
1983 Volkshochschule, Essen, Germany
1981 Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata
1981 Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
1980 National Museum, Singapore
1980 Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
1979 Walburgischule, Werl, Germany
1979 Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata
1978 Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
1977 Decor Art Gallery, Kolkata
1976 Gallery Denbarg, Geneva, Switzerland
1975 Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
1975 Gallery Atlantis, Aix-En-Provence, France
1974 Gallery "Les Hirondelles" Geneva, Switzerland
1973 Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
1972 Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 Aureus 2011, Gallerie Nvya, New Delhi
2010 Black is Beautiful, India Fine Art, Mumbai
2009 Mark of Masters -2, Art and soul, Mumbai
2009 Sacred and Secular, India Fine Art, Mumbai
2009 Think Small, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
2009 Entity, in association with Asian Academy of Film & Television at M.E.C. Art Gallery, New Delhi
2009 The Root of Everything, Gallery Mementos, Bangalore
2008 India Splendor, organized by Habiart Foundation at Singapore
2007 Power of Peace, organized by Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai at Bali
2007 Organized by Fiidaa Art at Singapore
2007 Organized by Rangoli Art at Singapore
2007 Organized by Artworld at Singapore
2007 Organized by Mystic Inspiration at Dubai
2006 Drawing Show an Act of Art II, Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai
2006 Organized by Gallery at Positive at Singapore
2006 Organized by Gallery Art Resource Trust at Singapore
2006 Organized by Fiidaa Art at Singapore
2005 Reflections Art Gallery, Hong Kong
2004 Scenes from a Voyage, organized by Art Voyage in association with Art Pilgrim
2004 Parbon 2004, organized by The High Commission of India in Dhaka, Real Concepts and MAA Consortium, Dhaka at Sheraton Hotel, Dhaka
1997 Colors and Independence, National Gallery of Modern Art (N.G.M.A), New Delhi.
1997 Bengal Show, Singapore by Apparrao Galleries
1997 Indian Best, New Delhi
1997 Within the Frame, New York / London / New Delhi
1997 Major Trends in Indian Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1996 Autumn, Exhibitions by Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata at New Delhi
1995 Art from the Heart, Exhibition by the People for Animals, Bombay, Delhi
1992 To Encounter Others, Kassel
1991 Art for Spastics Auction Madras The Downtrodden and We, by Lalit Kala Akademi
1990 300 Years of Calcutta, Birla Academy of Art and Culture
1987 Indian Drawings Today, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1985 Graphic Art in India since 1950
1977 Gallery 26, New Delhi
1975 Galerie Kunsthaus Stuttgart, Germany
1975 Silver Jubilee Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1975 Inaugural Show, Decor Art Gallery, Kolkata
1971 Calcutta Painters, New Delhi
1970 Calcutta Painters, Kolkata and Mumbai
1970 Epar Bangla Per Bangla, Kolkata
1969 Arts and Artists, Kolkata

SELECTED JOINT EXHIBITIONS
1997 With Shipra Bhattacharya, Art Today, New Delhi

PARTICIPATIONS
2012 Synergy 2012, 12th Anniversary Show, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 Summer Show 2010, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2010 Evolve: 10th Anniversary Show, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 Annual Exhibition, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi
2009 Entity, Annual Exhibition, M.E.C Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 Harvest 2008, organized by Arushi Arts at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi
2003 6th EME Triennale Mondiale DEstampes Petit Format 2003 in France
1995 3rd International Biennale of Prints, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
1993 Visited Germany, sponsorship of Inter Nationes
1992 The Museum of Modern art, Sitama, Japan
1992 Silver Jubilee Exhibition of Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
1991 7th International Triennale India, New Delhi
1991 Visited United States under auspices of the USIA
1991 Visited England, sponsorship of the Brit. Council
1990 2nd International Biennale, Ankara, Turkey
1989 Centenary Invitees Show of Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
1986 2nd International Biennale Havanna, Cuba
1985 3rd Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh

HONORS AND AWARD
1979 Awarded by All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
1978 Awarded by State Lalit Kala Academy, West Bengal
1977 Awarded by Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata

Notification - We do not usually display Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharjee's work, only send it to private art collectors and interested art buyers.

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