B. C. Sanyal Biography 
B. C. Sanyal was a doyen of modernism in Indian art who has witnessed the full transformation of Indian art in the 20th century. He was also a well-known painter and sculptor of the 20th century, and a great teacher to his students. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984 by government of India. He was also a recipient of Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship in the year 1980. Famous theater artist and costume designer, Amba Sanyal is his daughter. His sister was married to younger brother of famous filmmaker – Shyam Benagal. Thus he was the uncle of national award winning filmmaker Dev Benegal.
This legendary artist was born in Dhubri, Assam in 1901. His full name is Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal. He lost his father at the age of six, and was later brought up by his mother. His mother had keen interest in making dolls and that’s how young Sanyal got attracted to the world of art and creativity. Later he studied at Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata. He taught and practised sculpture for the next six years. In 1929 he travelled to Lahore to do a bronze portrait of Lala Lajpat Rai, and got settled there. He set up the Lahore College of Art in 1937. After partition, he returned to India and settled in Delhi. He was married to Snelata, a ghazal singer and theatre artist.
He was associated with All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), and also served as the secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi in the 1960s, and later as its vice-chairman. Renowned for his watercolours and oil paintings, he introduced many new styles to Indian art. The Veiled Figure was his tribute to his mother. He also acted in a film - Dance of the Wind (1997). He remained active even after he crossed 100. This legendary artist who witnessed three partitions of Indian sub-continent passed away on 9 August 2003, aged 102.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 19, 2016
