Indra Dugar

The Ganges in Varanasi, Ink on paper, inspired by Master Artist Nandalal Bose

1963

Indra Dugar was born in Jiaganj, West Bengal. He was the son of Hira Chand Dugar, a major painter of the early modern period of Indian Art. Indra Dugar, unlike his illustrious father Hirachand Dugar, did not have any formal education in art and during his schooling in Santiniketan he somewhat unconsciously absorbed the artistic ambience of Kala Bhavana and the Neo-Bengal School. Eventually, he outgrew the Bengal School and developed a highly individualistic style of painting. He acquired the technique and art practices from his father without going through any academic routine. Indra Dugar considered Santiniketan his alma-mater, and drew his inspiration from the art of Nandalal Bose. Perhaps the absence of academic programming gave Dugar’s art a rare individuality that distinguished him from other artists of Kala Bhavana. Dugar was a versatile artist. He created decorative motifs for the annual sessions of the Congress at Ramgarh, Jaipur and Amritsar, which went beyond his chosen theme of Indian landscapes. He was an art critic with the Bengali publications Desh and Anand Bazar Patrika, and tried his hand at illustrating children's books. Dugar has shown his art as part of several prestigious exhibitions in India and abroad, including an exhibition sponsored by UNESCO in Paris, in 1946. His art is housed in private and public collections including the Academy of Fine Arts, Indian Museum and Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, and the Japanese Art Association in Tokyo. In 1987, Dugar donated paintings to the Amar Mahal Museum in Jammu. He was also a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata and of the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society in New Delhi. Dugar soon outgrew the Bengal School mannerisms, invariably visiting places to paint ‘on the spot’ observed views of nature and life. While progressively reducing the naturalistic details in his paintings, Indra Dugar instinctively retained color harmony for expressing serenity in nature.