Somnath Hore

Untitled (Lady with Cat)

1982

Somnath Hore was a Bengali sculptor and printmaker. He was born in 1921, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Hore finished his Diploma in Fine Arts from Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, in 1957. His sketches, sculptures and prints were a reaction to major historical crises and events of 20th century Bengal, such as the Bengal Famine of 1943 and the Tebhaga movement. The anguished human form has widely been reflected in Hore's figuration. The visual appeal of his work is increased by rough surfaces, slits, holes and exposed channels. From 1974, Hore began to produce his bronze sculptures. Mother with Child, a large sculpture that paid homage to the people's struggle in Vietnam, was stolen from the Kala Bhavan soon after it was completed and still has yet to be found. Hore was honored and awarded with “Padma Bhushan” by the Government of India in 2007, “Gagan-Aban Award” in 1984, “L.N. Gupta Memorial Award” in 1977, National Award, “Lalit Kala Akademi,” New Delhi in 1960 and 1962–63.