GLORIOUS 61 YEARS OF CALCUTTA PAINTERS By Anindya Roy

There was an interesting exhibition recently held by Calcutta Painters, one of the oldest artist groups in Bengal, celebrating their 61st Annual Exhibition titled “Climacteric” at the Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata. This group has gifted Bengal with many eminent artists, including Jogen Chowdhury, Bijon Chowdhury, Prokash Karmaker, and Nikhil Biswas, who were also among the founding members. Their collective artistic journey has always expressed deep concern for nature, society, and the evolving human condition. The impact of climate change and emotional shifts in contemporary life are captured through the artists’ creative processes. Alongside senior masters, new participants presented experimental works beside traditional and academic styles, enriching the exhibition with diverse expressions.

An eye-catching oil painting by Bijon Chowdhury reminded viewers of the history of humankind. This year, the group paid homage to Bijon Babu. Another major attraction was a black-and-white drawing by Jogen Chowdhury, whose continued participation inspires younger members. His simple linear treatment beautifully captures the elegance of the female face. Viewers were drawn to the modern presentation of Subrata Ghosh, whose allegorical works reflect today’s environmental crisis. His aesthetic approach, though uncommon for average viewers, strongly evokes concern for nature lost to inhumane activities.

Senior artist Sima Barua continued her traditional institutional style through sepia etchings depicting tender family narratives with graceful linear forms. The only tempera painting in the exhibition, by Swapnendu Bhumik, portrayed the darker realities of our time with soft, systematic composition. Susanta Chakraborty, long known for his oil paintings depicting masked and caustic faces, explored the pastel medium here, balancing blue and yellow tones to create atmospheric depth.

Sibaprasad Kar Chowdhuri’s non-figurative landscapes carried his signature layered color fields, creating space and dimension. Goutam Bhumik’s dramatic still lifes featured rich textures and bright hues. Abhijit Das, inspired by slums and garbage landscapes, presented mixed-media works reflecting the concern for nature. Bibek Kalyan Roy’s pencil-based landscapes offered a soothing visual experience through smoky spatial divisions. Among the sculptors, Anup Mondal presented a half-burst aluminium sculpture with a deliberately rough surface, while Raksh Sadhak experimented with mixed materials to interpret human and civil structural forms. Overall, artists of Calcutta Painters—from their foundation to the present—remain deeply connected to nature and environmental consciousness. From this perspective, the title “Climacteric” aptly reflects the theme of transition and critical change in both nature and human society.