“Art decorates not merely our rooms, or walls, or landings-supreme art decorates life
supremely.”

Born in 1887 in at the age of 16 Jamini Roy came to Kolkata from Beliatore, Bankura and joined the Government College of Arts. In 1908 he got his Dipl. of Arts under the then principal Abanindranath Tagore the founder of The Bengal School of Art.

By 30’s he became India’s most sought after portrait painter in oils. Known as the Picasso of Asia he was a sensitive and a dedicated artist. He changed from his academic Western training and who experimented intensely in search of his own simple style based on Bengali folk traditions, with the Santhal dance as his starting point. He was most influenced by the Kalighat Pat.

His four decades long artistic career (1920’s to 1960’s) produced over twenty thousand works. The first exhibition was held in Government School of Art Calcutta in Sep-Oct 1929; in 1937 as part of collective annual exhibition of ISOA, which was also visited by Gandhi followed by other important and personal shows.

Some of his key works are Ramayana 1946- in Kalighat pata style; his Bride and two companions 1952, tempera, Dual Cats with one Crayfish 1968-Tempera.

In 1934, he received a Viceroy's gold medal, in 1955 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, in 1956 he was made the second Fellow of the Lalit Kala Academy.