Art and human condition

An exhibition held at Bikaner House presents a retrospective showcase of selected Jogen Chowdhury’s drawings, paintings and archives from 1955 to 2023. The show started on March 8 and will continue till April 2 from 11 am to 7 pm.

The exhibition’s name, Into The Half Light And Shadow Go I, grounds Chowdhury’s artwork in the tradition of thoughtful and introspective artistic responses to the human condition. The curatorial concept traces the artist’s willingness to confront the indications of human anguish in his earliest works, including the academic exercises that foreshadow his human concerns with regard to social reality.

Chowdhury’s depictions of human form and relationships are incisive and at times satirical, emerging from the oscillation between reflective and relative modes of creative thinking.

“Time and space are the main driving forces that compel me to continue my work as an artist. Circumstances and specific events influence our perception of life at any given point in time. The fact that the situations alter, time is found in flux and one’s position vis-à-vis the social environment is also subject to change, keeps the artist in me on my toes directing all my attention towards creating art. It is these undercurrents that keep me motivated endlessly, embracing natural changes,” says Chowdhury.  

“Jogen Chowdhury is a true master of modern Indian art, the embodiment of originality, talent, and sensitivity. His brilliance prevails over some extremely dark formative years during the great famine and Partition of Bengal,” says Somak Mitra, Director, Gallery Art Exposure. 

 When: 11 am – 7 pm; March 8 – April 2

Where: Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi