Akara Art

PRODOSH DAS GUPTA

Akara Modern

1912 -1991

Das Gupta born in Dhaka is known for his sculptures that range from solid, symmetrical structures to irregular, fluid figures. His sculptures offer insight into the artist's journey and his exploration of form and content. They carry a rhythm and a poetic sense of minimalism, their roots lying in Indian aesthetics. His sculptures reflected western influences along with the traditional Indian ones. Das Gupta graduated from Calcutta University before studying at the Government School of Art and Crafts, Chennai, and then the Lucknow School of Arts and Crafts. He further studied sculpture at the Royal Academy of Arts and LCC Central School, London, and the Ecole de Grand Chaumier, Paris. He also founded the Calcutta Group with artists Rathin Mitra, Nirode Mazumdar, Paritosh Sen, Hemant Mishra, and Gopal Ghose.

His western education, combined with his distinctly Indian sensibilities, allowed him to foster a progressive artistic vision. Owing to his belief that contemporary Indian sculpture did not stem from any definite root, Das Gupta searched for a sculptural form that expressed contemporary ideas while still creating a form to express the pressure of energy leaching out. In addition to his artistic prowess, Das Gupta went on to serve as (curator) director of the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi from 1957 to 1970. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, and participated in several exhibitions in India and internationally. After his death in 1991, in 2008, a major retrospective of his works was hosted by NGMA and his solo show, ‘In Quest Of Form And Content: Prodosh Das Gupta’ was also held at AKARA in 2019.

Curriculum Vitae