Bimal Das Gupta: An era unfolds

Bimal: the pure one. Bimal Das Gupta's art: a pure concoction of experiments. The contemporary Indian art scene would have been incomplete without remembering and resurrecting Bimal Das Gupta's art. A 1938 oil painting of the artist shows figures of several villagers queued up with pots on their heads, their shadows visible from afar, trees outlining the canvas—a rare find from his collection of abstracts. Known as one of India’s first major abstractionists, Gupta’s art evolved throughout his lifetime. When he passed away in a tragic accident in 1995, India’s art scene had not peaked yet. Art galleries still awaited the boom.

And so, Vikram Mayor, director of Gallery Silver Scapes, who calls Bimal Das Gupta his mother's 'godfather' says it took about 30 years to recollect Bimal Das Gupta’s works from galleries, auctions, personal collections, from art collectors and so on. "From the 1,400-1,500 works of his, we only have about 100 so far," he says. Das Gupta would dine at Mayor’s home almost every day and would go on to leave a lasting impression on Mayor. He says some of Das Gupta’s paintings still adorn the walls of homes of the likes of Adanis and Arun Purie.

In order to pay homage and revive Bimal Das Gupta’s lost art, Vikram Mayor’s Gallery Silver Scapes and Dhoomimal Gallery came together to present an exhibition titled ‘The Tutelage’ at Delhi’s Travancore Palace. While the exhibition has concluded, this is just the beginning of an attempt to bring back the legendary artist’s works in the contemporary art scene. The exhibition will be taken to several cities in the country, stirring a dialogue about the contribution of the artist to Indian abstraction and modern art.

Vikram Mayor calls him a ‘creator’ who ‘ventured into abstraction as early as the 1940s, a time when most artists were still rooted in traditional, figurative forms. "His forward-thinking approach, whether through his exploration of Tantra or his innovative use of mediums like watercolours and acrylics, was far ahead of its time—much like other visionaries such as Mozart and Van Gogh, who were initially overlooked,” he says recalling the time he worked with Bimal Das Gupta from 1984 until his passing in 1995.

Born in 1917 in Bengal, the artist worked with India’s oldest art gallery Dhoomimal when he shifted to the capital permanently. Largely known for creating abstract works in watercolours, besides oil or acrylics, he is also credited for introducing techniques of mixing different media innovatively.

Uday Jain, director of Dhoomimal Gallery, says his greatest strength as an artist was his colouration, especially in the use of watercolours—a medium so difficult to handle. “The way Bimal Da’s colours blend and mix with one another, whether in an array of colours or monochrome, is just spellbinding. Due to his untimely demise and that of his children in the same accident, his works have somewhat got lost for many years. However, in the last few years, his works have regularly started appearing in auctions and have done rather well."

The two-day exhibition, curated by Archana Khare-Ghose, showcased a comprehensive collection of around 90 of Das Gupta’s works spanning seven decades, capturing his journey from early explorations in the 1930s to mature abstract compositions influenced by nature, the Tantra philosophy, the cosmos, and underwater seascapes. By shifting from traditional realist themes to abstraction, Das Gupta forged a unique path in Indian art history. This transition was captured well through art walks that took the visitors through his works, conducted by experts Manu Mansheet Rai, Samar S Jodha, Georgina Maddox and Archana Khare-Ghose, who each explored different facets of Das Gupta's artistic journey and provided insights into his creative influences.

Bimal Das Gupta’s works and life have been immortalised through a coffee table book that was also launched at the event.

Lady Kishwar Desai, Alka and Monu Bali, Princess Gayatri, Lisa Rani Ray, Sharmila Tagore, Ramola Bachchan, Jatin Das and Dr Michael Williams, were some of the VIP guests in attendance at the special preview of the exhibition.