Jogen Chowdhury Biography 
Jogen Chowdhury is a prolific painter and artist from Bengal. He used ink, water colour and pastel forms for his works, apart from oil medium. Jogen is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian painters of 21st century. Currently he is involved with politics and serves as a member of Rajya Sabha representing Trinamool Congress. A recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, the government of Madhya Pradesh awarded him with Kalidas Samman for the year 2001-2002.
He was born in Daharpara Village of Faridpur district, East Bengal in 1939. Currently this village belongs to Bangladesh. His father was a Brahmin zamindar. Both his parents were inclined towards art and for the same reason Jogen too developed interest in arts. Inclined towards Hindu mythology, his father Pramatha Nath Chowdhury used to paint mythological scenes from village theatre and also deities. Jogen's mother was an expert in Alpana drawings. He along with father moved to Kolkata before partition and rest of the family in 1948. The family settled at Saheednagar Colony, Dhakuria in 1951.
Jogen pursued art studies at Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata and completed graduation in 1960. He started off his professional career as an art teacher in a school and later earned the job of Designer in the Handloom Board, Kolkata. In 1965 he moved to Paris for higher studies. Once he returned to India, he worked as textile designer in the Handloom Board in Chennai. He quit his job in 1972 to join the Art Gallery of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi as a Curator. He was the co-founder of Gallery 26 and Artists' Forum in New Delhi in 1975. Chowdhury joined Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan as professor of painting in 1987. He wrote extensively on contemporary art.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 26, 2016
