A painter, illustrator, tutor and writer, Paritosh Sen has been a part of the world of Indian art, for close to four decades now. Sen’s more recognizable works are his caricatures, which reflect strong underlying socio-political shades, and his female nude drawings. His style of representation is influenced by his exposure to Western Modern art, and has traces of cubism. He uses two dimensional, structured planes but still creates an illusion of voluptuousness.

His drawings and paintings are noted for their strong lines and bold, stylised strokes. Although colour is an important aspect of his paintings, it is the human figure, expressing a myriad of emotions, that dominates his art. A recurrent subject in Sen’s works is his depiction of scenes from everyday urban life. These activities are rendered from a cynical and detached perspective, which is typically Sen’s viewpoint.

Paritosh Sen was born in Dhaka, now in Bangladesh, in 1918 in a noted Ayurved’s family. After finishing school, Sen ran away from home to join the Madras Art School headed by Devi Prosad Roy Chowdhury. In 1943, he along with his friends formed the Calcutta group. In 1949, Sen left for Europe. In Paris, he studied at Andre Lhote’s school, Academie Grand Chaumier, Ecole des Beaux Arts and Ecole des Louvre where he studied the history of painting. A meeting with Picasso left a deep impression. Between 1981-82, Sen had been Artist-in-Residence at Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore. In 1985, Sen was invited by the NID, Ahmedabad to be an artist-in-residence. In the course of his career, Sen’s style of painting has undergone many changes. From the stylized to the voluminous, expressionist figures, he has traversed a long way. But there are continuities. For example, the drawing with bold, vigorous strokes, the use of volume m the figuration and sharp irony have been impressive elements in his work. Since 199 1, his work has become more sensuous and he uses more exuberant colors.
Paritosh Sen has a Diploma in Fine Arts from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai. In 1942, he moved to Calcutta, where he and a group of friends formed the Calcutta Group, an association of artists that sought to incorporate contemporary values in Indian art. In 1949, he left for Paris to study further, attending, among other institutes, the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He received a Fellowship for 1970-’71 from the John D. Rockefeller III Fund. A prolific writer, Sen has published many works in both Bengali and in English, including a series of autobiographical vignettes titled ‘Jindabahar Lane’. His works have been exhibited in India and internationally, in Paris, London, Germany, Tokyo and in the US.

Paritosh Sen passed away in October 2008.