Paritosh Sen

Paritosh Sen (1918 - 2008) was a pioneering Indian modern artist, painter, illustrator and writer, and one of the founding members of the Calcutta Group, established in 1942 to introduce modernist approaches into Indian art. Born in Dhaka, present-day Bangladesh, he studied fine arts at the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Madras (now Chennai) and later pursued further studies in Paris, where he encountered European modernist movements that influenced his artistic vocabulary.

Sen’s artistic practice is distinguished by bold, expressive lines, stylised figures and vibrant colours. Working primarily with the human figure, he depicted everyday urban life, social relationships and the complexities of human experience. His caricatures often carried sharp social and political commentary, while his paintings combined elements of Indian visual traditions with influences from Cubism and Expressionism. Throughout his career, he experimented with diverse media, including oil, watercolour, acrylic and printmaking.

A prolific writer, Sen also authored essays, illustrations and autobiographical narratives, including Jindabahar Lane, which reflects on his childhood memories of Dhaka. His works were exhibited widely in India and internationally, including at the São Paulo Biennale, the New Delhi Triennale and the Havana Biennale. He received several honours for his contribution to art, including the French Fellowship for Designing and Typeface and the Lalit Kala Ratna in 2004.

Paritosh Sen remains an important figure in the development of Indian modernism, celebrated for his distinctive visual language and his insightful observations of society and human life.