Sunil Das ( 1939-2015) was a Master Modern Indian Artist from Bengal. Extremely successful right from his college days, Sunil Das has been extremely well lauded by art critics, the press, artists and the art and culture glitterati across the world.
Sunil Das was the youngest artist to have won the National Award – The Taj Shiromani Kala Puraskar.
Recipient of the much coveted Govt. of India’s 4th Highest Civilian Award : The PadmaShree (2014).
Highly talented Sunil Das has done shows all across the world, got fame as early as while he was still in college, youngest recipient of the Lalit Kala Academy Awards and received a scholarship to study at L’Ecole Nationale Superior des Beaux arts, Paris.
” There are painters who transform the Sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who, with the help of their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into Sun” – Pablo Picasso. Sunil Das was exactly one such artist.
Education and Style : Sunil Das : (1939 – 2015 ) Calcutta.
Education : 1954-59 – Government College of Arts & Craft, Calcutta.
1961-63 – L’Ecole Nationale Superior des Beaux arts, Paris.
Selected Exhibitions :
1958 – National Ex.,RB.LKA (LKNA: Three Horses)
1966 – The Gallery Chemould, Mumbai and Calcutta.
1969 – Retrospective, BAAC.
1975 – Pioker Gallery, New York.
1976-78 – Ex. in Basle, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, New York.
1987 – Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Calcutta.
1994 – C I M A, Calcutta.
1995 – Village Gallery, New Delhi.
2007 – Group show ‘Modern to contemporary’ at Gallery Kolkata, Kolkata.
2011 – Solo show “ BEWARE-BEAWARE” at Gallery Kolkata, Kolkata.
Award / Honours ( As 3rd Student of Art Collage) :
1959 – Lalit kala National Award.
1959 – Gold Medal – G.C.A.C., Kolkata.
1959 – Gold Medal, Calcutta University.
1960 – Gold Medal, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.
1978 – Lalit Kala National Award.
1980 – Siromoni Puroskar- West Bengal.
1983 – Commissioner, Triennale, India.
1989 – Commissioner, Sao Paulo Binnale, BRAZIL.
Jury – Lalit kala Academy, New Delhi.
Style :
Sunil Das’ style of work is very original and shows no specific influence. He had risen to fame like MF Hussain with his famous paintings of horses, to the extent that he was nicknamed ‘Ghora Das’ ( Hindi which means Horse Das).
Like Hussain, Sunil Das was inspired by the force and strength of the moving horse. The horses and the bull ( inspired from his visit to Spain and witnessing the Bull Fighting ) have appeared more than 7000 times in Das’s works. He has otherwise painted haunting pictures of women thereby revealing the dark side of people who are otherwise considered beautiful. His works on the Red Light of Kolkata , was also much lauded and brings about an important social message through his works.
Das’s main mediums could easily be Oil On Canvas, His Stimulating and Stirring works in Mixed Media, Conte, Charcoal, Serigraph, Wood Works, Sculptures. Whatever medium he worked on, he effortlessly mastered.
Not one to be stuck to one style, Das experimented and worked on various series and mediums. His works involves the quick use of the brush and pen to create master pieces that have a dynamic effect, potent with power.
