Shuvaprasanna: A Man for all Seasons attempts to bring together the complete oeuvre of the versatile modern Indian artist Shuvaprasannaย Bhattacharya, in a single volume.ย The book also traces his life and career and the significant events that shaped his artistic sensibilities. This volume features Shuvaprasannaโs multifaceted work, be it painting,ย drawing, portraiture, printmaking, illustrations, installations, sculpture and murals, through his artistic timeline, and his contributions as a socio-political activist in building cultural institutions.ย
Shuva-da, as he is popularly known, was actively involved with the Calcutta Painters Group in the 1970s; he founded the College of Visual Arts in 1975 and thereafterย the vibrant and internationally known Arts Acre Foundation in 2008. The in-depth textual description of the artistโs creative evolution is accompanied by images of over 80ย of Shuvaprasannaโs impactful artworks from different phases of his career, including paintings of the city of Kolkata, to his signature charcoal drawings of birds, to hisย latest collection, โThe Mystique of the Epicโ, which comprises striking depictions of characters and episodes from the Mahabharata.
Through her interpretive commentary, the author shows that Shuvaprasannaโs articulation about culture, his insatiable child-like curiosity, fascination with the โCity of Joyโ,ย impressive warm persona and inquisitive mind, make him a man for all seasons. This book would be of interest to art lovers, students of modern Indian art and the generalย reader with a penchant for creativity.
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