Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya

BIOGRAPHY

Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya is an Indian artist, born in Kolkata in 1947. He graduated from the Indian College of Arts (Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata) in 1969. He was an active member of the 'Calcutta Painters' group. He is married to artist Shipra Bhattacharya.

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 itsexistential 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 does not merely portray reality as '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.

Solo Exhibitions

  • 1972 : Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1973 : Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
  • 1974 : Gallery "Les Hirondelles", Geneva, Switzerland.
  • 1775 : Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi; Gallery Atlantis, Aix-En-Provance, France.
  • 1976 : Gallery Denbarg, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • 1977 : Décor Art Gallery, Calcutta.
  • 1978 : Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
  • 1979 : Walburgischule, Werl, Germany; Max Mueller Bhavan, Calcutta.
  • 1980 : National Museum, Singapore; Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
  • 1981 : Max Mueller Bhavan, Calcutta; Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
  • 1983 : Calcutta Art Gallery; Calcutta; Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Kreissparkasse, Ludwigsburg, Germany; Volkshoschule, Essen, Germany.
  • 1985 : Painter's Home Gallery, Calcutta.
  • 1987 : Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1988 : IDM Gallery, Munich, Germany; St. Paulus Pastelite, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
  • 1989 : Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; The Gallery, Chennai.
  • 1990 : Indian Museum, Calcutta; Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Sridharani Art Gallery, New Delhi.
  • 1991 : Art Age Gallery, Calcutta; La Gallerie, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • 1992 : Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1993 : Kunstverein Ludwigsburg, Germany; Studio Helmi Precther, Augsburg, Germany.
  • 1994 : “Metropolis": Portraits of Calcutta, CIMA Gallery, Calcutta; ABC Gallery, Benaras.
  • 1995 : Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi; Gallerie Grewal Mohanjeet, Paris, France.
  • 1997 : Painter's Home Gallery, Calcutta; Gallery Sanskriti, New Delhi.
  • 1998 : Joint Show with Shipra Bhattacharya, Art Today, New Delhi.
  • 1999 : An Appreciation of Ted Hughes, Exhibition of Crow Paintings, British Council, Calcutta; Art Indus, New Delhi
  • 2000 : ‘Shuvaprasanna’s Icons & Retrospective, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, organized by Art Indus, New Delhi; Fine Art Company, Mumbai; Gallery Sumukha (Recent & Past) at Bangalore; Artworld, Chennai; Fine Art Company, Mumbai.
  • 2002 : ‘Icons and Illusions’ organized by Gallery & Arts India, New York, USA; ‘Madhura’ at Art Indus, New Delhi.
  • 2004 : ‘Lila’ at Sridharni Art Gallery organized by Art Indus, New Delhi; ‘The Golden Flute” at Gallery Artsindia, New York.
  • 2005 : ‘The Golden Flute” at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai organized by Indian Fine Art & Cymroza Art Gallery.
  • 2006 : “Evocative Expressions” In Quest of Krishna at Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi and same show at ITC Sonar Bangla Art Gallery, Kolkata; The Devine Flute, at Arts India West, USA.
  • 2007 : “Madhura – The Golden Flute” at Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre by Indian Contemporary.
  • 2008 : “Night Watch” at Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi; “Beyond the dark” at Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata.
  • 2011 : “Recent & Retrospective” at Lalit Kala Academy organized by Art Indus and Gallery Nvya, New Delhi; “Recent & Retrospective” at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai; “Recent & Retrospective” at State Art Gallery organized by Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad; “Recent & Retrospective” at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad organized by Gallery Time & Space, Bangalore; “Recent & Retrospective” at Emami Chisel Art Gallery, Kolkata.

    • Group Exhibitions

  • 1970 : Calcutta Painters, Calcutta and Mumbai; Epar Bangla Opar Bangla, Calcutta.
  • 1975 : Gallery Kunsthaus Stuttgart, Germany; Silver Jubilee Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademy, New Dehli; Inaugural show, Décor Art Gallery, Calcutta.
  • 1977 : Gallery 26, New Delhi
  • 1979 : Contemporary Watercolour Exhibition, Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1985 : Graphic Art in India since 1950.
  • 1987 : Indian Drawings Today, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai.
  • 1989 : Centenary invitees' show of Bombay Art Society; Human Rights by Arts of Bengal, Alliance Francise de Calcutta and Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1990 : 300 years of Calcutta show by Birla Academy, Calcutta; Contemporary Paintings on War and Peace, Max Muller Bhavan, Calcutta; Hyderabad; Chennai; Bangalore; Mumbai.
  • 1991 : Art of Spastics Auction, Chennai; "The Downtrodden and We" by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
  • 1992 : Silver Jubilee exhibition of Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 1993 : "Sonar Bangla" Exhibition of Indian Contemporary Art, Mumbai.
  • 1994 : From India: 28 Contemporary Artists Present New Graphic Work, Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery, University of Victoria, Canada.
  • 1995 : 'Art from the Heart', Exhibition by the People for Animals, Mumbai, Delhi; 'Bombay - An Artist's Impression' RPG, Jehangir Art Gallery.
  • 1996 : 'Autumn', Exhibition by CIMA, New Delhi; H.K.Kejriwal Collection 1830-1995, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore.
  • 1997 : 'Colours of Independence', N.G.M.A., New Delhi; 'Bengal Show', Singapore by Apparao Galleries; 'Indian Beast', New Delhi; 'Within the Frame', New York/London/New Delhi; 'Major Trends in Indian Art', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; 'Image - Beyond Image', Contemporary Indian Paintings from the Collection of Glenberra Art Museum, Japan, exhibited at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi; Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore; National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai; Heart, 'The Intuitive Logic II', Exhibition : Auction Modern & Contemporary Indian Paintings, The Park, New Delhi; The Nehru Centre, Mumbai; Kalanjali, Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore, 'A Tribute to Mother Teresa', Art Indus, New Delhi; Contemporary Art of Bengal, Victoria Memorial in collaboration with Calcutta Metropolitan Festival of Art.
  • 1998 : Indian Contemporary Art, The RPG Collection, Bayer A.G., Germany; Confluence, Trends in Contemporary Indian Art, Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore; Art Connoisseur Gallery, London; Gallery Asiana, New York; First Group Show of The Fine Art Company, Mumbai; Indian Contemporary Art Show/Auction, Singapore; 'Unmaskings' Exhibition of Self-Portraits, Gallery Om, New Delhi.
  • 1999 : Art for Spastics, at Taj Coromandel, Chennai, 'Water' Contemporary Watercolour Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; Small Format Works, Art Today, New Delhi; Art and Cinema, Arushi Arts, New Delhi.
  • 2000 : ‘Shatabadi’ reflextion on a century past- exhibition organized by CIMA at Calcutta and Mumbai; ‘The Miniature Formet Show 2000’ Sanstache Art Gallery Mumbai.
  • 2001 : ‘Art of Bengal: Past & Present’ organized by CIMA at Mumbai in January, the same in Kolkata April; ‘Scapes 2001’ at Hong Kong; ‘The Harmony show’ at Mumbai; ‘Harvest 2001’ exhibition of Indian Contemporary Art; ‘A Treasure Trove’ at Birla Academy, Kolkata; ‘Works on paper’ organized by CIMA at Kolkata.
  • 2002 : ‘Ma’ exhibiton of Indian Contemporary Art organized by Art Indus in New Delhi; ‘Art for Hearts Sake’ Auction at Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai; ‘Three Diemnsions’ at AIFACS, New Delhi.
  • 2003 : ‘The 8th Harmony show’ at Mumbai; ‘Call of the Real’ exhibition by Sanskriti Gallery with Taj Group of Hotels at Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Colombo.
  • 2004 : “Freedom through Education” at Bangalore by Bangalore Round Table 7.
  • 2005 : ‘2005 India- Korea contemporary art’ at India Habitat Centre, new Delhi organized by Montage Arts; ‘Hervest’ organized by Arushi Arts, New Delhi; “Devotion” at India Habitat Centre, new Delhi organized by Gallery Arts Positive; “40th Anniversary year” at Artworld, Chennai; ‘Art for God’s Shake’ by The Art Trust at India Habitat Centre; “Devine Inspiration” by Indian Fine Art, Mumbai; “Palette 2005” by Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi; “Chiaroscuro” at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai by Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata.
  • 2006 : Harmony Art Show 2006; “Group Show” at Maurya Sheraton Hotel, Jointly by External Affairs Spouses Association and Chawla Art Show; ‘Khushii- India on canvas’ auction at Delhi.
  • 2007 : “Modern Trajectories” at Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery, Chennai; “Power of Peace” at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai; ‘Vistaar’ at Delhi and Mumbai organized by Limited Editions; 'Colours of Life’ at Cymroza Art Gallery organized by Cancer Patients Aid Association; 'Harvest 2007’ organized by Arushi Arts; 'Inaugural exhibition’ of Ganges Art Gallery; 'Femina auction’ organized by Tao Art Gallery; 'Round & Round’ organized by Polka art Gallery; 'Charity auction’ organized by Ashraya Art; 'Indigo’ at Delhi organized by Weavers Studio for the arts; ‘Art Addressing Violence’ at Samokal Art Gallery; 'The Sacred’ at India Habitat Centre organized by Galleria; ‘Indian Surrealism’ at Aakriti Art Gallery.
  • 2008 : “Annual exhibition” at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata; 'The Sacred’ at Jehangir Art Gallery organized by Galleria; 'Colours of Life’ at Cymroza Art Gallery organized by Cancer Patients Aid Association; 'Harvest 2008’ organized by Arushi Arts; Annual exhibition of Chawla Art Gallery; Black & White show at Tao Art Gallery; “Ananya” at India Hatitat Centre organized by Bajaj Capital Art House; Annual exhibition of Red Earth Galleries; “Dwawing exhibition” at Gallery Beyond, Mumbai; “Art Mela” at Studio 21; “The Mahatma” organized by Point of View Art Gallery; “Stylefile Winter 2008” by Stylefile.
  • 2009 : “Annual exhibition” at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata; 'Exhibition on Ashapurna Devi’ at Samokal Art Gallery; '1x1 India’ at Mumbai organized by Akar Prakar; 'art against violence’ at Gallery Sanskriti; 'Colours of Life’ at Cymroza Art Gallery organized by Cancer Patients Aid Association; ‘Group exhibition’ by Gallery Sanskriti; ‘Perfect Synergy’ by Genesis Art Gallery; ‘Living Art Expanse’ by Nakul Sen; ‘Hervest’ organized by Arushi Arts; ‘Sacred and Secret’ by Polka Art Gallery; Calcutta Painters exhibition; ‘The sacred and the secular’ by Indian Fine Art; ‘Mother-Child’ by Gallery Kolkata; ‘Group exhibition’ by Sanchit Art, Agra; ‘Annual Show’ by Cima Gallery Pvt Ltd; Golden Jubilee exhibition of Society of Contemporary Artists.
  • 2010 : ‘Drawings’ by Art & Soul; ‘Evolve’ by Tao Art Gallery; ‘Colours of Life’ by Cancer Patients Aid Association; ‘Summer Show’ by Cima Gallery Pvt Ltd; ‘Weaving Legacy’ by Indian Art Circle; ‘Group exhibtion’ by Maya Gallery of Contemporary Art; ‘Devotion Transformation’ by Art Positive.
  • 2011 : “Annual exhibition” at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata; ‘Portrait of an Artist’ at Indian Art Summit organized by Dhoomimal Art Centre.

    • Awards

  • 1979 : AIFACS, New Delhi.
  • 1978 : State Lalit Kala Akademi, West Bengal.
  • 1977 : Birla Academy, Calcutta.
  • 2008 : Taj Gaurav award by Taj Association for Art, Culture & Heritage.
  • 2010 : Manavata Vikas Award by IIPM

    • Art Organizational Works

  • 1969 : Founder member, Art and Artists, Calcutta.
  • 1970 : Joined Calcutta Painters, Calcutta.
  • 1972 : Jt. Secretary, Calcutta Art Fair.
  • 1974 : Member, CIRCA Geneva, Switzerland.
  • 1976 : Founded College of Visual Arts, Calcutta.
  • 1984 : Founded ArtsAcre, An Artists' Village, Calcutta.
  • 2008 : Established Arts Acre Foundation at New Town, Kolkata.

    • Publications

  • 1976 : Edited with Shakti Chattopadhyay, Anarchy and the Blue.
  • 1977 : Published Artist, a Collection of Woodcut Prints.
  • 1981 : Editor Art Today, a journal on movement of contemporary visual arts in India.
  • 1982 : Edited Portfolio The Dream and Reality (a collection of drawings).
  • 1983 : Edited Portfolio The Eyes of Time (a collection of drawings).
  • 1993 : Published Between the Earth and the Sky.
  • 1995 : Published Wondering Silence (Drawings and Contemporary Bengali Poems); PublishedShuttle a Portfolio of Graphics and verses by Obergrabenpresse, Dresden and Calcutta.
  • 1998 : Published Bishanna Swadesh (Drawings with Poems of Partha Raha).
  • 1999 : Published Ma-Nishad (Drawings with Poems of Jay Goswami)
  • 2000 : Published Shuvaprasanna: Vision Reality and beyond by Chitrotpala Mukherjee.
  • 2002 : Published “Aamaar Chhelebela” an autobiography of Shuvaprasanna.
  • 2003 : Published “Swapna, Swapna noy” a Bengali short stories for children; ‘Call of the Real- Contemporary Indian Artists of Bengal’ published by Mapin.
  • 2005 : Published “Onno Nagorik” a collection of prose by Shuvaprasanna.
  • 2008 : Published “Sheth Aashwo Aar Yasmin O Onnanno Probondho” a collection of prose.