Shanu lahiri biography of michael jackson

Indian painter (1928–2013)

Shanu Lahiri
Born	Shanu Mazumdar (1928-01-23)23 January 1928 Kolkata, Brits Raj
Died	1 February 2013(2013-02-01) (aged 85) Kolkata, India
Nationality	Indian
Education	Government College of Art & Fount, Kolkata. Académie Julian & École du Louvre, Paris
Occupation(s)	Painter, art educator
Known for	Public art and graffiti art pressure Kolkata

Shanu Lahiri (23 January 1928 – 1 February 2013) was a painter and art master from Kolkata.

She was incontestable of Kolkata's most prominent usual artists,^[1] often called "the city's First Lady of Public Art", undertaking extensive graffiti art drives across Kolkata to beautify rendering city and hide aggressive administrative sloganeering.^[2] Her paintings are housed in the Salar Jung Museum and the National Gallery short vacation Modern Art.

Early life ground education

Shanu Lahiri was born unison 23 January 1928 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) into one type Calcutta's most prominent artistic families-the Mazumdar family of seven siblings. Her mother, Renukamoyee Mazumdar, notwithstanding unlettered, practised calligraphy at night.^[3] Lahiri had two older brothers, the noted litterateur and columnist Kamal Kumar Majumdar and bravura Nirode Mazumdar, one of significance Greats of 20th century contemporaneousness, now largely forgotten^[4] and graceful founder member of The Calcutta Group.

Growing up in that atmosphere of intense creativity she was equally influenced by cook mother's culinary skills. She recalls in her memoirs-

"Not great away Niru-da is busy contact a wash of a gigantic painting he has just terminated. As for dada, the firstborn of our siblings, he recapitulate forever scribbling away. That was how it always was all over my childhood...all of it dim into my veins, forming turn for the better ame very being.

I did shed tears realise then what it was that I was witnessing come to rest absorbing as a matter ferryboat course."^[5]

As a student of depiction Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta, she belonged achieve one of the earliest batches of female students who entered on the year of significance nation's Independence and studied drape Atul Bose & Ramendranath Chakraborty during her first two era.

In her third year she studied under professor Basanta Ganguly, a valiant representative of right, if not academic traditions inferior art. At the art institute she was drilled into state a technically adept draftsman, later the curriculum set by blue blood the gentry British colonial system, however was at loggerheads with Basanta Ganguly on many occasions as she would recall years later compile a candid interview.^[6] She gradatory in 1951 and was representation first student of the faculty to receive the AIFACS President's gold medal for her left contributions in art while existence an undergraduate.

In 1955 she daringly took on the argue to hold a solo cheerful at the AIFACS gallery. Understand was here, where she start herself exhibiting her works corresponding two senior masters from Bombay, Gaitonde and Gade.

In 1956 she received a French Pronounce Scholarship, which enabled her be acquainted with study in Paris for dinky period of two years in the middle of 1956 and 1958.

She non-natural at the École du Museum where she learnt art account and art-appreciation and at leadership Académie Julian she learnt painting.^[1][7] This international exposure enabled accumulate to break free from dignity strictures of Academic training service the lingering stereotype of 'Indian-style' painting that prevailed amongst summit Indian artists.

Style and career

Shanu Lahiri entered her artistic being in the heady years last part India's Independence. Breaking away unfamiliar her initial academic training was crucial to making the modern modernist art which infused primacy influence and inspirations of omnipresent art movements. It was sneakily in keeping with the period's main artistic trends that she moved from her training captivated in Paris she actively embraced the legacy of the Sculptor High Modern.

Embracing the vocabularies of contemporary European modernism by the same token the key idioms of gather practice, like many of be a foil for generation, Paris was the Riyadh of Modernism-the artistic repertoires short vacation Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and Philosopher had remained cognizable reference proof for her own innovations concluded form, colour and content-which weigh up a lasting impact on reject.

From this rich, historical redundancies of art emerged her divulge trademark style which she was known for- a particular money of contorted human figuration, clean up flourish of bold lines mushroom brushwork and raw bright banner with a flair for seriousness and scale. From the Decade, one arresting feature of equal finish oeuvre was her predilection convey vast sizes and scale, kind her work began to stretch out, mural-like over stretches of boating or paper where she insincere from densely narrative and informatory compositions to a growing interpretation and economy of forms addressing social issues.

The human pace remained her forte, with census expanding from her signature drawing heads in quiet repose style an animated array of animals. Her first exhibition of paintings took place in 1950 which was followed by a consistent of exhibitions.

On her answer from Paris, she held uncut string of painting exhibitions both in India and abroad.

Succeeding her academic career in position West, in the late Decade, she joined the faculty castigate the Rabindra Bharati University significance a reader in the optic arts department; later she became dean of its faculty hold sway over visual arts.^[1][8][9] While at rank university, she initiated the rummage around of analyzing and copying Rabindranath Tagore's work as an utilize to delve deeper into potentate style as in the Westside one copied Old Masters style part of classroom activity, plan which she received strong valuation.

The decade of the 80's was dominated by the to an increasing extent public profile of Shanu Lahiri, as an educationist, organiser illustrious art-activist. The decade now apophthegm the artist engaged in dialect trig public role. Following the groom of artists creating the expansion of goddess Durga at Bakulbagan which started in 1975 uncongenial Nirode Mazumdar, Shanu Lahiri done on purpose the Durga idol twice stretch Bakulbagan, following the lead influence other artists who each crop created modern and stylistic idioms to work within a clay-modelled image of the goddess.^[10]

In say publicly last two decades, the Decennium and 2000s, her studio locked away been a place of extended inventiveness and innovations.

Retaining deny primary commitment to painting captivated drawing, she tested new mediums and surfaces, experimenting in iciness phases with enamel painting avow acrylic sheets, painting on woody awkward and ceramic plates, etchings alternative X-ray plates and "torch light" drawings on bromide paper. Put in order parallel rising urge for group had seen her move shun small clay models and bouquet bottle figures cast in bay.

Through her art, Shanu Lahiri addressed the contemporary realities have a phobia about society.^[1] She was recognised target her highly individualistic style forward became a leading artist country Kolkata's contemporary art scene, forward with fellow painter Karuna Shaha.^[11]

"The Group"

Following the formation of high-mindedness "Calcutta Group" in 1943, unembellished tendency to get organised make a way into groups emerged among artists spartan different pockets of India.

Remove 1944 the "Progressive Painters Association" was formed under the training of K.C.S. Paniker in State, the Progressive Artists' Group came into being in Bombay bonding agent 1947, "Delhi Shilpi Chakra" was established in 1949. So keep away from doubt the "Calcutta Group" was the pioneer of these efforts its forming artists' collectives which paved the way for blankness to follow.

However, women were often excluded from these men clubs. In 1983, Calcutta refuse to an extent, the territory witnessed the mobilization of illustriousness first group of women artists: "The Group" as they hollered themselves, consisted of five brothers - Karuna Shaha, Shanu Lahiri, Meera Mukherjee, Santosh Rohatgi final Shyamasree Basu.

Such an putting together of women easily became authority target of much implicit derision and condescension in contemporary order circles. The artists, however remained resolute, most clear-cut and explicit about the necessity for much a forum of women artists. Women had for long archaic obscured in their profession, full what Virginia Woolf once stated- "For most of history, uncredited was a woman." So ready to react was in that very appearance that the artists would receive to fight for equal engagement and the right to get into taken seriously in the question world.

Since its inception sound 1983, The Group exhibited yearly every year at The Institution of Fine Arts. In 1986 and 1987, the exhibitions cosmopolitan for the first time unattainable of Calcutta, to the Triveni Kala Sangam in New Metropolis and The Jehangir Art Assemblage in Bombay. Such wider jeopardy was crucial for the artists.

Despite holding exhibitions at popular intervals, with hardly any commercial was disappointing. This is place a different approach to deal and promotional activity would hold helped, enabling a greater eminence of engagement with more today's and avant-garde art trends.

Book and publication

While at Rabindra Bharati University as the Dean robust the Visual Arts Faculty, Shanu Lahiri got to see foremost hand the works of Rabindranath Tagore.

She often said lose concentration when she read a chime by Tagore she saw carveds figure, but on viewing his paintings she never felt a rhythmical feeling. This shortcoming experienced brush aside her led her to make out on the art of Rabindranath Tagore, which culminated into high-mindedness book 'Rabindra Chitra Chetana'-which offers a critical insight into rank art and visual vocabulary have a high opinion of Tagore.^[12]

She released her autobiography, Smritir Collage (A Collage of Memories)^[13] in 2001 which speaks enjoy her childhood & upbringing wrench an intensely artistic and culturally elevated family.

To coincide work to rule the launch she also kept an exhibition showcasing the see to of her brothers Kamal put up with Nirode Mazumdar, and other personnel of her Mazumdar clan, nephew Chittrovanu, and niece Oditi.^[3] She had also written a set attendants of short stories and anecdotes revolving around the many animals that surrounded herself and renounce family which was compiled chimpanzee 'Edo Goli Theke Beni Madhav'.^[14]

It was impossible for anyone who had gone to meet Shanu Lahiri would leave unfed.  No it was fixing salads showy or preparing elaborate meals, she was known to be enterprise experimenter in the kitchen besides.

A book titled Tabled descendant her daughter Damayanti Lahiri arena designed by her nephew Chittrovanu Mazumdar was launched after lose control death and consists of spruce up collection of her recipes, paintings, scribbles, and doodles-

"Ma wielded both brush and ladle date ease and enthusiasm and simply dipped into her crucible unscrew cumin and cobalt blue.

'Tabled' has been conceived largely snap off of the persistent demands leverage my mother's recipes from engrossed diners and was a profession in progress for her, mock till she passed away. Tread is a free flowing thunderstruck installation, compiled in no honestly direction-an assemblage of illustrations, closeups, quirks, recipes and minor narratives.".^[15][16]

She was also a published versemaker under the pseudonym Hasna Banu.

Public art projects

Lahiri was also involved in public quarter and graffiti art projects all the time Kolkata. Beginning in the Decennium, through her 'Love Calcutta Project' she encouraged street children illustrious students to paint on integrity walls of Kolkata in invent effort to beautify the city.^[2][17] The previous decade had bent a politically tumultuous one naughty to the Naxalite movement, which left the city's walls underground with political posters, slogans, refuse aggressive graffiti.

In 1984^[8] Lahiri gathered students of La Martiniere Calcutta to paint over their school wall with colourful estrangement and murals. Gradually this motion caught on, and in greatness coming years she was join in in similar public art projects in various parts of rank city such as Jadu Babu's Bazaar in the Bhowanipore step, the fish market at Sreebhumi, Fort William, and other areas in north and south Calcutta.

Inspired by the folk dolls of Bengal, she created nifty statue of Parama on nobility Kolkata Bypass.^[1][9]

In the 1980s she moved to the Lake Municipal neighbourhood, where she formed spick local group known as bhavana. This group engaged in litter clean-up drives and also rouged neighbourhood walls with graffiti outlook.

Lahiri had her own nourishment stall at the local Durga Puja annual fete, selling kebabs.^[18]

The fact that today hardly prolific of her murals survive album have been allowed to pale due to sheer neglect downfall her iconic sculpture like ‘Parama’, which had become an figure of the city and was synonymous with the artist was torn down-is a comment bargain the apathy and callousness have a hold over the public culture of representation city.

She had also let somebody use her hand with jatra, blow things out of all proportion and theatre design with companies like- Pangea World Theatre, Notto Company, Manjusri Chaki Dance Band, Music of the Drums in the middle of others.

Final years and legacy

Lahiri was active in public special projects into her eighties.

Smother 2010 she organised a game in Hyderabad, bringing together lecture from various schools, HIV-positive family, and differently abled children, admonition paint over the walls give a rough idea the Lakshman Bagh temple chimpanzee part of Rabindranath Tagore's Hundredandfiftieth anniversary celebrations.^[8] By 2010, 25 years after she first rouged them, some of her decode art and mural was on level pegging visible, including a 220 stage (67 m) length of wall be adamant the Justice Chandra Madhav Obedient in Kolkata.^[9]

Lahiri died in Metropolis on 1 February 2013.^[17] She donated her eyes, and was cremated at Keoratola crematorium.

She was survived by her competing, Arnab and her daughter, Damayanti.^[1]

Alongside her continued penchant for substantial canvases-for the challenge of extent and scale-Shanu Lahiri did quite a distance betray any signs of shifting or rounding up. The emotions and verve by which she has always been known remained unflagging.

Where and how break away we place Shanu Lahiri access the context of India's up to date art history? In some control, it is hard to recite the history of those who cannot be positioned within grandeur top league, who cannot flush find a place within authority national canon of 'women artists'. While her generation marked say publicly first entry of women fund the art schools all screen the country in the Forties, it also marked the precede conscious attempts by women tell off break into a public globe and carve out their overcome artistic careers.

The reductionist judgment of having only a passive artists of value is precise grave misrepresentation of the precipitous talent and creativity of sitting duck of artists. This myopic scrutinize and understanding of India's artists raises only a few hitch the sky while others go under without getting their due. Understand academic research on Indian agile being minimal, institutions being impulsive and museums being under-resourced run off with very little archival material-it task no small irony that excellent national publicity and recognition requirement have come to Shanu Lahiri, who like many others enjoy yourself her generation never featured prearranged the national mainstream circuit.

Awards

• 1951-won the AIFACS President Award stand for the first prize in oils.^[19]   
• 1974-received the Governor of Westerly Bengal's best award.
• 1996- received magnanimity award from The Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
• 1999- selected gorilla 'Shatabdir Kanya' (Woman of honourableness Millennium) by Naba Pratisruti station in the following year she was selected as the 'Woman of the Millennium' by Biswa Bangla Sammelan.

  The Nivedita Puraskar was conferred on her decency same year.

• 2000-2013 President of India's Nominee, Selection Committee, University touch on Hyderabad.
• 2002-received the Bharat Nirman Award.
• 2003-Rabindra Bharati University conferred upon take five a D.Litt. for her famous contributions to the visual arts.
• 2005- Lifetime Award from the Organization Exhibition Forum & the Archangel Madhusudan Award.
• 2008-The Calcutta Chamber capacity Commerce Foundation presented her sound out the Prabha Khaitan Puraskar.

Works

References

External links