Biren De | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1926-10-08)8 October 1926 |
| Died | 12 March 2011(2011-03-12) (aged 84) |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Known for | Modern art Tantric designs |
| Awards | Lalit Kala Akademi National Award (1958,1964) Padma Shri (1992) Fellow of Lalit Kala Akademi (2006) |
Biren De (1926–2011) was an Indianpainter ofmodern art, known for his paintings withtantric influences.[1] His paintings were characterized by symmetrical patterns of geometry and the presence oftantric symbols such asmandala,phallus andvagina, reportedly representing masculine and feminine energies of the universe.[2] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of thePadma Shri in 1992.[3]
Biren De was born inFaridpur, in theBengal Presidency (now Bangladesh) on 8 October 1926.[4] He relocated toKolkata along with his family and joined theGovernment College of Art & Craft, Kolkata in 1944 for his graduate studies but did not accept the graduate diploma, citing a rift with the then college principal.[2] He moved to New Delhi in 1949 when he was commissioned for a mural at theUniversity of Delhi.[2] His first overseas exhibition was held atSalon de Mai, Paris, in 1951.[5] Returning to India, he joined theCollege of Art, Delhi, in 1952, as a member of their faculty and stayed at the job till 1963.[4]
During his tenure at the College of Art, he spent one year in New York, on a Fulbright Scholarship. It was after this period, his paintings started to depicttantric symbols.[2] In 1966, his works were exhibited at the Kumar's Gallery, New Delhi andHayward Gallery, London.[2] His works have since been displayed at several places includingNational Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi,Berlin State Museum and theNational Gallery, Prague,Royal Academy of Arts, London, Tokyo festival of India of 1988, and at the biennales in Venice, Tokyo, São Paulo, Mainichi and Sydney.[1][5]
De received theLalit Kala Akademi National Award in 1958 which he received a second time in 1964.[4] The Government of India included him in theRepublic Day honours list for the civilian award of thePadma Shri in 1992. He was elected as theFellow of Lalit Kala Akademi in 2006.[6] He died on 12 March 2011, at the age of 84.[4]
List of selected exhibitions:[7]
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