About Jamini Roy

Born in 1887 in Bengal, Jamini Roy is among the most significant and influential Indian artists of the 20^th century, and is especially admired for his painting that brought solace to the viewers in a tormented time of history. He studied painting at the Government School of Art in Kolkata. He began his career by painting in the Post-Impressionist genre of landscapes and portraits, very much in the manner of Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gaughin. However, he soon realized that he needed to draw inspiration, not from Western traditions, but from his own culture, and so he looked to the living folk and tribal art for inspiration.

He was most influenced by the Kalighat Pat, with its bold sweeping brush-strokes. In both his oriental and occidental style of works his compositions reflect flat treatment of colour, bold lines and candour of folk art. His underlying quest was threefold to capture the essence of simplicity embodied in the life of the folk people; to make art accessible to a wider section of people; and to give Indian art its own identity. His work has been exhibited extensively in international exhibitions and can be found in many private and public collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 1955. He spent most of his life living and working in Calcutta. Jamini Roy died in 1972.