EDUCATION
1945-49 Studied at Govt. College of Arts & Crafts,
Calcutta, he was expelled before completing his Diploma,
due to his deep involvement in politics. 1953 Transferred
and graduated from Govt. Institute of Arts, Dhaka.
EXHIBITIONS
1959 Group show, Society of Contemporary Artists, Calcutta.
1960 Group show, Society of Contemporary Artists, Calcutta.
1960 Banga Sanskriti Sammelan, Calcutta and Bombay.
1962 Solo show at Arts and Prints Gallery, Calcutta.
1963 Solo show at Arts and Prints Gallery, Calcutta.
1963 Solo exhb. at Patna. 1964 Eight Painters from Calcutta,
AIFACS Gallery, New Delhi. 1964 `Calcutta Painters`
group show, Calcutta. 1965 `Calcutta Painters` group
show, Calcutta. 1966 Show in honour of Giacometti, Industry
House, Calcutta. 1968 Exhb. with Paritosh Sen, Pravas
Sen, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury, Mahim Rudra, Calcutta. 1969
West Bengal Artists, sponsored by Srinantwu, Bombay.
1974 Exhb. at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Calcutta.
1974 `Calcutta Painters` group show, Birla Academy of
Art & Culture, Calcutta. 1975 `Calcutta Painters`
group show, Sridharani Art Gallery, New Delhi. 1975
Participated in the Third Triennale, New Delhi. 1977
Retrospective, Allaiance Francaise,
COLLECTION
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Gaganendra
Art Gallery (Govt. of West Bengal). Jane and Kito de
Boer, Dubai. Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
AWARDS
1963 Academy of Fine Arts Award, Calcutta. 1978 Rabindra
Bharati Award, Calcutta. 1978 Documentary coloured film
entitled `Bijan`, made by Film Australia, Film Division
of Govt. of Australia. 1995 `Abanindra Puroshkar`, Govt.
of West Bengal, Calcutta. He received William Carey
Award.
STYLE
Bijan Choudhury has worked on the imagery of Bengali
poetry as it has evolved since its earliest days to
the present, covering almost more than four centuries
of poetical development. His paintings have narrative
elements but are in no way illustrative. He is here
both as a composer and interpreter. His archetypal imagery
and symbolism are not explicit as in the recent Indian
variety of Surrealism and fantastic art. He has always
avoided the sensational and the fearful aspects of art.
He has searched for significant visual forms that have
behind them the range and scope of Human Art since the
earliest cave dwelling days.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1976-1980 He was the Principal, Indian College of
Art and Draftmanship, Calcutta.
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