Who is Sunil Das?
Sunil Das (1939 – ) is one of India’s most prominent expressionist painters. His career includes over 10 different phases all of which were received by the art world and critics with great praise. The award winning artist has received many distinctions in his field and remains the only person to have ever won a national award (the Shiromani Kala Puraskar) while still in college in 1959.
How did he become an artist?
Das is the son of a small business owner in Kolkata. He decided that he wanted to be a painter after his schooling and joined the Government College of Art & Craft. His talent was recognised even during his college years and by the time he graduated, he was given a scholarship by the French government to attend the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
His Work
It was during his time in Europe that Sunil Das came into close contact with the theme of horses and bulls. He was fascinated with the power and movement of these animals and began to focus on depicting these beasts in motion and stationary. He claims to have drawn over 7000 depictions of horses and bulls between 1950 and 1960.
Sunil Das Paintings
Sunil Das’ paintings very rarely use bright colours. Instead his pieces use a combination of beige, browns, and blacks from his signature use of conté. This is a type of crayon made from mixing graphite or charcoal powder with clay or wax. This substance was first produced during the time of Napoleon because there wasn’t enough paint and coloured pigment to create art. This type of crayon produces bold lines where the artist can easily play with direction and movement. He remains one of India’s most prolific artists of the 20th century and continues to be collected by museums and art lovers all over the world.
Find artists other than Sunil Das that feature a four legged animal like a horse or a deer for that matter.
Go to the search bar at the top of the Mocomi page and type in conte. Record what you find
For more famous painters around the world, visit: https://mocomi.com/learn/culture/famous-people/painters/